Hungry
by saichanlovestoad
Summary: Todd gains a new part of his mutation that makes him a force to be reckoned with. Character deaths. Vore.
1. Paperboy

A/N- Vore implies that there will be character death by one character eating another character. I loved the idea of this genre when I heard of it and had to write this story. Be warned. I like gore and I'm obsessed with blood. This story gets gruesome fast and, although this chapter doesn't involve vore, it does include an OC's murder. Please don't read if you don't like blood, gore, or have a weak stomach. Enjoy. Love saichanlovestoad.

And I would like to state that this story was inspired inpart by GoldFox's Kurt Evens the Score and those lovely pics she gave me a link to. Thanks a bunch, love.

* * *

Lance rolled out of bed, moaning as he heard thumping and shouting coming from the hall. Pulling on jeans and a shirt, he walked out of his bedroom, searching for the source of the noise. Pietro banged rapidly on the bathroom door, hollering and shouting at Fred, who obviously was in the bathroom. Todd was sitting on the floor next to him, head down and shaking visibly. Wanda was no where to be seen, but, as she'd left three days beforehand, that was to be expected.

" What the hell is with all the noise?!" Lance demanded, storming over. Pietro spun around.

" _Fred_ won't unlock the damned door and I have to piss real bad!"

" I didn't want to know that,"

" Then you shouldn't of asked," with that, the blond turned back to the door and continued to pound, "OPEN THE DOOR, FRED!! THIS IS THE ONLY BATHROOM IN THE HOUSE!!!"

" Stop shoutin', Quicksilver. He ain't gonna open the door just because you yell," Lance reminded him, stretching.

"I don't care. It makes _me_ feel better about it,"

" Whatever," Lance turned to face the youngest of their team, who had drawn his legs up to his chest, " Are you okay, Toad?"

" Yea', yo," he muttered in a feeble voice, looking up with blood shot eyes. Lance arched an eyebrow, not convinced.

" You've been out of it for days,"

" I'm fine,"

" Sure," he looked away as the bathroom door opened and the screaming match over bathroom etiquette began between Fred and Pietro. A headache started to creep up Lance's temple and it had nothing to do with his power.

For a minute, he just stood there, rubbing his forehead and praying that he would phase through the floor and find himself somewhere, anywhere, but there in that hallway. Yet, his prayers went unanswered. When he opened his eyes again, Fred and Pietro were still yelling at each other and Todd looked like he was going to pass out.

" Toad, are you really okay?" Lance's concerned tone made Todd look up. He was paler then usual and couldn't stop shaking. That really bothered Lance. The last thing he needed was for one of his members to drop dead. Something told him that would give him the worse headache he'd ever had. He really didn't want to go through that.

" Yeah, man. I'ma good. Don't worry 'bout it,"

" You look faint,"

" I... haven't eaten anything all day, is all,"

" Well, why the fuck not, if it does this to you!!"

" I... ain't been hungry lately..." Todd answered, slumping against the wall and moaning. There was silence for a second as Lance felt something close to absolute insanity running through his body, but it was quickly replaced by sheer rage. He punched the wall above Todd's head, shaking with anger. All three of the other boys stared at him with large eyes.

The ground shook.

" DAMMIT, TULANSKY!!! YOU'RE ABOUT TO PASS OUT BECAUSE YOU AIN'T EATEN BECAUSE YOU AIN'T HUNGRY!!! ARE YOU RETARDED!!!!" he bellowed down at the boy, eyes livid with rage, his head throbbing with a fresh headache.

" Whoa. Lance's gone crazy," Pietro joked, nudging Fred, who smirked back.

" THIS IS WHY OUR TEAM SUCKS ASS!!! BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL STUPID!!! USE YOUR HEAD, TULANSKY, AND GO EAT SOMETHIN'!!!" he roared, causing the ground to shift and slam the three into the wall. With that, he marched into the bathroom, complaining about how stupid his team was and how he couldn't handle that kind of stupidity so early in the morning when he had such a raging headache.

" Congrats, Toad! You made Lance finally go crazy!" Pietro exclaimed, patting him on the head before zapping back over to the bathroom door and banging on it, " Hey! Lance! Open up! It's my turn!"

" There's waffles downstairs, if you're interested," Fred suggested, heading back to his bedroom. Todd waved him off, heaving himself off the floor, and walking down the stairs. For a second, Pietro watched him, finding it strange that he walked, not hopped, but then just contributed it to his hunger. He didn't think twice about it as he continued to bang on the door.

Downstairs, Todd stood aimlessly in the middle of the kitchen. There was some food on the counter and flies buzzing all around due to the excessive garbage. Usually, he'd immediately grad a snack or snag some fat flies out of the air and be satisfied and ready to go cause trouble with the rest of the Brotherhood. For the last few days, however, he hadn't even felt a pang of hunger. Yes, he'd been feeling awful because he wasn't eating, but he couldn't help it. He'd never been one to eat when he felt full. Lately, he'd felt full almost every minute of the day, so he hadn't even thought about eating. Of course, now that Lance was ready to rip his head off for being stupid and irresponsible, he had to eat something.

" But I ain't hungry," he whined, rubbing the side of his flat stomach. A fly drifted by and his tongue snapped out and caught it. He swallowed, hoping that would do it.

Todd heard what sounded almost like a click inside him. The kitchen tilted, he let out a gasp, and clutched the shirts over his stomach. As soon as he'd swallowed, he felt like his stomach had caved in and dragged his heart and brain with it. He collapsed to his knees, hugging his aching hole of a stomach. Every thought he'd ever had in his life shot through his mind before blanking out to one primal need. Hunger. Food. Hunger. Food.

His vision doubled, a ringing began to sound in his skull, and he could only gasp out. His body went numb, a painful numb, that extended from finger tips to feet and everything in between. Then everything went black for a long time, his body seemingly vanishing from the kitchen floor and dropping into a void of darkness detached from the rest of the universe. When his vision came back, his eyes were watery and his belly was throbbing in the most terrible of ways.

He knew what he needed. Todd needed food. He'd die instantly in the most painful, agonizing way if he didn't eat something within the next few seconds. There was no doubt about that.

As fast as he could, he grabbed the food that remained on the counter and crammed it into his mouth. It tasted terrible, absolutely terrible. He spat it back out, drawing away from the unappetizing food. His eyes scanned the room for something that wasn't so dead, so undesirable. The flies, they zipped by, but he didn't have to catch them to know he didn't want them. He could swallow them whole, without tasting them. He longed, his body longed, for something more. His mouth felt empty, as though he desired something he'd never had before but knew it would fill him up better then anything else in the world ever could.

This desire felt like it was tearing him apart. His hands shook, his body ached, a scream began to build in the back of his throat. Every inch of his body felt like it was on fire, his hearing dulling until he was deaf to the earth. The only thing he could hear was the ringing, that got louder and louder and louder until it was almost unbearable. But worse then anything else was the hole in his stomach. It ran deep, cutting away at his very being, ripping at his sanity in it's emptiness. He needed to feed his stomach and he needed what he desired, yet he knew not what it was he desired.

Todd let out a cry, curling up around his legs, his hands covering his ears to try and block out the ringing that pounded on his brain and bloodied his senses. His throat began to feel raw, as though being cut up along with his stomach. His vision filled with spots, his head swimming in a fiery haze that dimmed every sense in his body but touch and the agony of this miserable desire that was eating him away.

Then there was a clinking on the window that drew Todd's head up. A bird was fluttering outside the glass, settling onto the perch of the sill. It felt like a light had gone off in the most animalistic part of his brain. Everything became clear, more vivid then anything he'd ever viewed in all his life. Todd suddenly knew what he desired, what he needed to survive this fatal misery.

Blood. Fresh blood. Flesh. Fresh flesh.

In one bound, Todd left his spot on the floor and tore open the window. His tongue wrapped around the neck of the frantic bird before it could fly off. He grabbed hold of it and shoved it into his mouth in it's entirety. The bird squawked and struggled and he slammed his hands over his mouth, so that his catch couldn't escape.

The bird scratched at him. The fight brought heat to Todd's face. He relished this feeling of supreme power over a small, helpless living creature that had no chance at survival and knew this but still fought for one more breath of air. His tongue pushed the bird up and he shuddered with joy as it struggled.

Todd bit down on it's neck. There was a cracking, a choked squawk, and then the blood filled his mouth.

All that existed in the world was gone. There was nothing but Todd and that warm, sticky liquid that was slowly dripping down his throat. The taste redefined exquisite, divine, exotic. A true wine if there ever was one. The most perfect drink in all creation. Fresh, warm blood. That was what he'd been craving all this life. That feeling, that taste, that texture, overwhelmed him and brought tears to his eyes. Those tears began to run down his cheeks as he covered his face with his hands and swallowed the bird whole. The taste reminded and he cried. It was just too much for a lowly toad. He was unworthy of such perfection.

And yet... he wanted more.

Todd licked his lips free of the blood, wiping away his tears. He felt amazing, completely full and more alive then ever before. The bird's blood had awoken that primal side of him that made him feel like himself. That one mouthful had made that side of him run down his veins, take control of his being. He wanted to slay something else. Feel it struggle against his new found power, taste it's warm life giving blood as it's life drained away with each gulp. He wanted that more then air. He wanted it so bad, it hurt. Hurt in a way that drew a cry from his lips.

A sound echoed out from the entrance hall. Todd looked over in that direction, desperately trying to figure out what it was. His animal side couldn't comprehend it as anything more then a vexation he wanted to destroy. Before he could go kill it, however, a shout came down from upstairs.

" Answer the damn door, Toad!!" the voice brought back some of Todd's more human senses. The doorbell, of course. That's what that sound was. And that meant someone, a living creature, was at the door.

Todd slowly walked over to the door, shaking and trying to control the side of him that wanted to attack the sound that annoyed him so.

" If it's that paperboy, tell him to just leave it on the porch this time!! Tell him I'm not home, got it!!"

He pulled open the door. A young blond boy was standing there, holding a newspaper. When he saw Todd standing there, he began to ask questions about where that hot blond was and other meaningless garbage that the toad didn't care about. His mouth began to water as he stared at the boy's slender, unscathed neck. Underneath that skin was a vein, a vein that flowed with blood. Blood. That liquid that made the world a worthwhile place to live in. The essence of existence itself, right there in ample amounts just below that chattering mouth. Human skin was weak. It could tear easily. The blood would gush out in streams, there would be so much. He could get a million years worth of the precious liquid from that boy. He could stop the insane desires plaguing his mind. He could. He very well could.

" Be quiet," was all he said. Todd grabbed the boy's shirt and jerked him inside, kicking the door shut.

The boy began to talk in a louder voice, looking around wildly. Todd's hand locked around that neck and slammed his body into the chest, knocking the two of them onto the floor. Todd covered that moving mouth and licked the cheek that quivered with voice. He heard nothing. At that moment, his world became the clean, sweet, tender taste of the boy's virgin skin under his tongue. The taste was so pure, the texture so soft. He couldn't help but lick up and down the skin a few more times, watching as those green eyes widened to an almost humorous size. Little red veins popped out in the whites of the eyes. The sight made Todd smile and touch the soft flesh just below those fearful eyes.

Todd lowered his mouth then over the boy's neck and bit down. The salty taste of sweat reached his tongue, followed closely by the underlying scent of blood. That was all he needed. A hint of the perfect liquid, a promise at drinking it once again. That was all he needed to rip the boy's throat out. Blood pooled into his mouth and ecstacy swarmed over his body. Everything quivered as he lapped up his drink. The warmth ran down his throat and filled his stomach and thus warmed his being inside and out. Pleasure was the only thing he could feel for a brief moment in time. That moment froze, became it's own universe, and allowed him to feel the sheer happiness everyone else longed for, died for.

However, that moment was soon broken by a throbbing in the core of his stomach. Todd felt as though his mouth was empty and needed to be filled. His stomach was longing for food. He was hungry again, starving, ravenous, all over again. This time, though, he had the food he needed right in front of him.

Todd bit down on the bleeding wound of the boy's neck and ripped a strip of flesh off. It made a delicious sucking sound before it tore and snapped up. He swallowed it whole and found it's slippery feel so enjoyable, he felt dizzy with joy. Aching for that joy, he began to tear chunks of flesh out of the boy and choke them down in large gulps. His belly began to fill but it remained empty. He'd need a lot more to make up for the neglect he'd had for his physical needs in the last few days.

Todd relished the though and began to glut himself on the boy's flesh, bones, and blood. The bones cracked like music to his ears, the skin tasted of the sweet blood that ran over it and everything else in the world. All was red and food and filled Todd up to the extreme with pleasure and absolute joy. He was gone. He was in a world all his own and it felt so good.

" I'll go start the car," came a fast paced voice before footsteps came down the stairs. Pietro stopped in his tracks at the base of the stairwell, Fred and Lance frozen on the top couple. All three stared in sheer, raw horror at the sight before them.

Kneeling in a pool of blood and strips of flesh was Todd. Newspapers were soaking up the blood, scattered all over the place. The blood was splattered on the walls, covering Todd's shirts, which stretched over his swollen belly. Blood ran down from his mouth, which was open and revealed sharp fangs. His eyes were animalistic and a stunning black violet color, piercing in his blood stained face.

Lance gripped the railing for support, his knees giving out beneath him. Fred covered his mouth, his eyes widening so far that caused him pain. They couldn't believe that this red mess covering the entrance hall had at one time been a youthful paperboy. Their minds couldn't accept that, so all they saw was red and Todd in the middle of it all, covered in the same redness.

Pietro, on the other hand, was close enough to see the butchered remains of the boy who'd bothered him so just the other day. Now, all that was left was half a face with a terrified eye and some strips and chunks of flesh with bite marks in them. Bite marks. His blue eyes looked up at Todd's red mouth, his sharp teeth, and then down at the curve of his stomach. The blond began to shake violently, his arms locked at his sides, unable to pull his gaze away from the curved belly covered in blood stains. Slowly, he started to piece it all together and that made him shake even harder.

The pool of blood surrounded Pietro's sneakers. They began to soak up the liquid as it spread across the floor at a steady, inching speed. Those blue eyes locked on his sneakers where his feet were growing sticky and wet. Then he looked back up in terror, as though hoping for some sort of comfort about the situation.

Todd licked his lips.

" Oh my Gawd," Pietro uttered as his eyes rolled back in his skull. His body fell to the ground and slammed into the stairs below.


	2. Mate

A/N– Sorry for the long wait. Here you all go. And don't worry. The vore is in this chapter. Enjoy- Love, Sai-chan.

* * *

Lance stood in the middle of the entrance hall, staring down at the permanently stained floors. The clock in the kitchen informed him that it was one am and he'd been standing there in silence for the past half hour. A sigh left his mouth as he raised his eyes from the floor to the ceiling. He slowly walked over to the stairs and took a seat on the bottom step. Silence filled the hall again.

" This is been the worse fuckin' day of my life," he muttered, the first thing he'd said for several long hours. His hands covered his face, " Did I do the right thing? I hope I did the right thing..."

Lance tilted his head backwards, so he could look up at the dark upstairs of the Boarding House. The scenes from earlier that day began to replay in his mind, though he'd hoped they wouldn't. Yet they came, like a movie he just couldn't escape. The images washed over his eyes.

Pietro had passed out and his head had made solid contact with the steps. Fred had almost lost his lunch before disappearing to go throw up in the bathroom. He would've hurried downstairs and beaten Todd had it been anyone other then Todd. Lance knew Fred couldn't handle that his surrogate little brother had eaten a little, innocent boy. He needed a moment to himself before he could come back and restrain the monster that was Todd.

Lance, on the other hand, had collapsed onto the stairs, unable to move or look away. He'd just stared in utter horror as the youngest of their team finished off the boy and began to lick his bloody fingers. Lance had watched Todd eat part of someone, someone he'd actually known briefly. That alone had put him into a shock so strong, he felt detached from the rest of the world. Everything turned to a void and his being was numbed over in a sickened disbelief that resolved itself into nothing. He felt nothing. He could only stare at the fading world that had been his reality. He felt like nothing could ever reach him again, that somewhere inside, his soul had died. That feeling scared him more then what he'd seen and he felt even more detached. The only thing in that time frame, however long that it was, that brought him back to the present, in fact, was Todd curling up, moaning and shaking.

He'd actually gone down those steps, into that bloody mess, to his teammate. Todd was nearly screaming in agony, his eyes slowly melting back to their usual golden color. As soon as they turned back, the screaming stopped. Lance had demanded to know what the hell was going on, what had happened, and why, just why, he'd done such an inexcusable thing. Upon seeing the remains and mess he'd made, Todd started to sob hysterically into Lance's chest, shaking violently, uncontrollably. He knew what he'd done but he didn't know why he'd done it. He cried out that he was sorry, so very sorry, and to not kill him, please, not to kill him. Lance had held him, empty and numb to everything, and listened to the cries with complete indifference.

When Fred came back, he stared at the scene, before coming down the stairs and sitting on the step next to Pietro's lifeless body. In a few moments, Pietro came to and got up, rubbing his head. His blue eyes took in the scene with horror written clearly on his face, then he was gone and a door slammed shut upstairs. The blond was gone for a while, then he was sitting next to Fred, a bandage wrapped around his head.

All four remained like that for an unidentified amount of time. Then Pietro began to clean the floors, as though compelled to do it because the paperboy had been there to see him. Fred rose to his feet shortly after that and started to wash the walls with him. Lance had cradled Todd in his arms as the others cleaned, then took the younger boy up to his bedroom.

Inside, he'd sat down with Todd. They didn't say anything. Lance felt dead and wondered vaguely if that was how the boy had felt before he'd died. Todd curled up, his legs pushed up against his large belly. His golden eyes stared at the wall, desperately trying not to tear up again. Lance had pulled the sheets over him and left to go help the other two clean up their entrance hall. The three exchanged looks, but silently agreed not to say anything about this deed their teammate had viciously committed.

Now, Lance was sitting on the same steps Fred and Pietro had been sitting on. Todd was asleep upstairs, Pietro was out disposing of the bloody newspapers in another state, and Fred was out at the post office, complaining about never getting their paper that morning. At least, that's where everyone had been hours ago. Neither Pietro or Fred had come home. They'd called to say they were out at so-and-so's house and that they might come home, eventually. Lance had agreed with their decisions and hung up, locked up the entire house, and then just stood in the middle of the hallway, looking at the remaining blood stains. Something told him to run as far away from that place as he could and never look back, but he hadn't listened to that voice. He'd listened to the one that claimed that Todd would need someone when he woke up in the morning and he wanted to be there for the boy he basically took care of. So, he'd stayed.

Sighing, he heaved himself off the steps and carefully walked up the stairs. All was still in the house, no pulsations telling him that the younger boy was up. He debated going inside the other's room. Instead, he swallowed hard and just went on to his bedroom and went inside. He locked the door, pushed his dressed in front of it, and finally laid down, grabbing at a bat that was laying amongst the garbage on his floor.

" Hope he sleeps through the night," he breathed out to himself, praying that he wouldn't have to hurt his friend. More then that, he just prayed the dresser would keep that door shut and that animal away from him if it got hungry.

* * *

Morning came and daylight spilled over Todd's sheets. His eyes snapped open, his head pounding. Moaning, he sat up, the sheets falling off him and tumbling to the floor. He stretched, yawned, and hopped off his mattress. His stomach hurt, but he found it to be almost perfectly flat. Fingering it, a sly smile formed on his lips as his animal side realized that this flat belly of his would hide any evil deeds he managed to cook up.

The very thought of that made his blood run cold, then heat up until he felt like he was drowning in that amazing liquid he could still taste on his tongue. He hugged himself, his eyes rolling back into his skull at the very thought of the passion that came with just a few drops of that blood. Warmth wrapped around, consumed him in it, rolled him around until his head was foggy and his body felt like it was floating in midair on a cloud somewhere else. He almost convulsed just at the thought, the heat turning his heart cold somehow, turning something on in his brain. There was a clicking and then he gasped out, hands going to his hair and pulling.

Pain roared to life, starting at his stomach and rocketing down to his toes and up to his fingertips. A scream tore out of his mouth, his own cold blood dripping out of his open mouth and onto the floor. He coughed and choked, hands grasping his throat. He gagged and more thick blood trickled slowly onto the floor like sludge. His stomach felt like it had collapsed and sharp cuts ran up his waist, something cutting him up from the inside out. Another scream escaped, this time strangled as his body convulsed and he fell to the ground, eyes changing colors and making him want to rip his eyeballs out.

" Todd?!" came a voice off in the distance, something opening near his head. He gagged and blood rushed out of him and onto the floor. It was bright cherry red this time, fresh blood. Flecks of bone were in the blood, obviously what had caused the pain in his stomach. Footsteps tried to come near, but they just kept getting farther and farther away, even though he could feel a hand touch his shoulder a moment later.

The next thing he knew, he was kissing the most wonderfully tasting person in all the world. There was the hint of peppermint, an underlying of salvia, but mostly just the clean taste of icy cold water. Such a pure taste. Todd's hands reached up and pulled the person into a deep kiss, wanting to find out if this person was entirely pure or not. They struggled, hands slamming into his stomach, but he continued to lick the inside of their mouth. The ground shifted, but it was weak. The air was leaving the person as Todd covered their face with one hand and took in a deep breath to suck away their life.

Todd opened his mouth and his jaw clicked out of place as though it was used to this. His tongue ran along the pale face, down to the chin and raised it up. Two brown eyes stared with wide, disconnected, and confused disbelief before the head was shoved into Todd's mouth. He tasted the salt of sweat, the flesh's innocence, and the pounding glory of blood. But blood wasn't his goal as his throat opened and slime and spit dripped out of his mouth as he pushed the body into his mouth. Purity was and he would find it. He wanted to taste that all the way down and he'd found the body that possessed it. So he eased the shoulders into his mouth, the slime making it slick and easy to move down.

Suddenly, the body tensed and struggled, the legs kicking and digging the boots into the floor. Todd gripped the spinal cord tight and everything relaxed, fearing that fatal snap. Using his slime on instinct, Todd pulled more of the body into his throat, feeling the head push into his stomach. It was up to it's waist now and starting to curl, causing Todd's belly to curve outward. He ignored the slight pain that came from his stomach stretching like that and slid more of the tender body into his mouth.

Everything tasted pure, untouched by the hands of another. He could taste this boy's life on his skin and fell in love with it. Heat washed over his skin as he shoved the feet in and they slipped down inside of him. His jaw snapped back into place, his body shaking from absolute pleasure as he laid down completely on the floor. His stomach hurt, the skin was tight, but inside, he could feel the boy moving around, trying to figure out what was going on. He took in slow deep breaths, his animal side dictating how he should treat the person he treasured inside of him.

Todd rubbed the sides of his swollen stomach, lovingly and gently. This all felt so new to him, yet so very old too. Odd as it was, he felt like he was mating with the person inside him. Mating, after all, was nothing more then becoming one with your partner. He'd just become one with someone. Someone who tasted like clean water and thick blood rushing around and quaking against his skin in fear and curiosity at the same time. The joy Todd felt from that someone made him quiver and his eyes roll back in his head, a smile crossing his face. The person moved and the rocking movement made him grow hot all over, his hands tightening over the bulge of his belly.

Inside him, however, the person moved violently. Todd had to admit, it was starting to hurt. Rather uncomfortable to have someone pushing on the inner walls of his stomach, especially after having stretched it so far. He frowned to himself, putting a hand on his lower abdomen and giving it a hard push. The boy was pushed up and his body naturally began to expel him, forcing him back up to his mouth, which dislocated and let him slide out with little effort due to the excessive slime created to lessen the agony of such a feat.

Lance stared at him as his jaw fixed itself and he climbed off the floor. The older boy was covered in slime and spit but didn't seem to notice. Instead, he just shook and inched away, looking every which way. Todd crawled over to him and pinned him to the floor, straddling him.

" P-please... don't k-kill me," he begged, the voice of his voice as innocent and pure as his taste. Todd smiled, licking his cheek playfully. Lance froze, swallowing hard and staring at him.

Two livid black purple eyes stared back at him, the younger mutant leaning in close. Lance could smell blood and that caused his insides to turn to lead. Todd's eyes had been the same blackish purple when he'd eaten that paperboy. He was at that newly discovered monster side of his. He was going to kill him just like the paperboy. All at once, at that very thought, Lance felt his body start to go numb and let go of the world around it. Before he could, however, Todd kissed him on the lips. Chaste and gentle and passionate, like Lance kissed Kitty when he saw her nowadays.

" Mate," was all Todd said, his eyes shining with true happiness as he licked Lance's other cheek. The older boy shook and stared as the younger cuddled with his stiff, lifeless body, laying tiny kisses all over his stomach and arms and legs.

All Lance could do was sit, unmoving, as Todd climbed into his lap and wrapped his slender body around his. He was afraid that any sudden movements would cause the mutant to become enraged and eat him like the creature with the black purple eyes had done to that poor boy. As he allowed the younger to cradle him, he found, the eyes slipped back into gold. Soon, the normal Todd was curled up in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist and hands gripping Lance's shirt. His now gold eyes stared off at the wall of his bedroom, but he didn't move. The earth tumbler tried to shift his weight but the other held fast.

" Ya can't leave," Todd suddenly whispered, his voice breaking the silence. Lance stopped in mid struggle, " We're one now. Ya can't leave me. I can only mate once," he said, closing his eyes and resting his head tenderly against the sticky shirt of his mate.

" B-But, we didn't even mate!"

Todd squeezed him tighter, causing the scent of clean water and fresh blood to wash over him. His eyes tinted purple and Lance stopped struggling. He closed his brown eyes, feeling a headache coming on, as he placed a hand on Todd's head. He knew, deep down inside, that he had 'mated' with the purple eyed version of Todd. If that side liked to eat people, whatever it had done to him had been like sex to it. He had mated with Todd Tulansky and something told him he'd be ripped apart if he tried to leave.

Yet, he didn't exactly want to leave. The warm, wet feeling he'd been surrounded by inside Todd's belly had been one of the most pleasurable experiences of his life. He'd been suspended in fluid, like jumping into a very tiny pool of blood and staying there for a moment. He'd been able to breathe the air coming down from the mouth of his captor and that had made everything seem so very gentle and comforting. Like being back in the womb, that sort of comforting, forever lovingly, protective feeling. With all the horror he'd seen in the past twenty four hours, he could use some rest in a warm, protected place.

Swallowing again, Lance looked down at the monster hugging him and breathing in his scent and he weakly smiled. Two purplish golden eyes looked back up at him, fainting glowing with hunger.

* * *

No, this is not the end, even if it might sound like one. 


	3. Clear

A/N- Sorry about the wait. Love you all.

* * *

The house was quiet. Scary quiet. Lance couldn't help but shudder as he splashed his face with freezing water from the bathroom sink. His reflection was paler and sick looking. He hadn't really expected anything less, however, considering he'd just mated with a cannibal. He swallowed hard, eyes looking towards the door that separated him from said beast. Todd was on the other side, curled up in a blanket in the hallway, awaiting his "lover's" return. Lance had tried to get him to come into the bathroom and wash up as well, mostly to keep an eye on him, but not even blood could get the toad to get clean. Thus, they had split up, to the fear of the rock tumbler.

As far as he could figure, Todd switched personalities against his will. Not completely against his will, as there was something driving that other half. But the teammate who was such a coward in battle could never have committed the acts the animal had. That was a given. So, there had to of been a trigger that changed them. What it was and why it had suddenly appeared, Lance had no idea. That alone scared him. Not to mention the fact that said monster could be waiting for him instead of the gentle boy he actually knew.

Which brought to mind his other fear. Another shudder went down his spine. This two faced person was his mate. He knew from class that certain animals only mated once, for life, and their partners never, ever varied. He'd never thought Todd had been one of those, as he seemed to have crushes on just about every Gothic girl he met. However, he was. Now, Lance was his chosen mate. From what had been said and done by both sides, he knew, without a doubt, both of them accepted him as the mate and he had no chance of escaping that fate. What that implied, he wasn't sure. He figured Todd would just like the company. The other side, though, that was where everything faded to grey. Surely, they would mate again. That warm feeling was pleasant enough to cause the rock tumbler some ease. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that this partnership meant something much more and would cost him dearly, especially if the animal version of Todd continued to rear it's ugly, blood thirsty head.

" I wonder when we'll mate next..." he mumbled into a towel, before taking a deep breath and opening the door. He wasn't sure whether he expected a head swimming kiss or an attack, but he certainly wasn't expecting what he got when that door opened.

Todd was gone.

" Holy fuck!! No! No! TODD!!! TOAD!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!" he screamed, body moving without command. He found himself ripping open all the doors on the top floor, his throat growing raw from his frantic yells. His feet found their way down the stairs and all time froze. His spine went rigid, his legs straight, his hands hung limply at his sides, as the world went black for a second. Air vanished, light dimmed, and there was nothing more then that pounding in his chest that must of been his heart.

Lance let out a cry, his hands grasping his face. The blanket laid across the stained floor, bathed in the light of the day. The front door was wide open and there were footprints in the dirt, right down to the sidewalk.

Todd wasn't just gone. He was loose. He was on the hunt.

Someone was about to die.

The mutant burst from the Boarding House and bolted down the driveway. He turned right and ran down the street he knew led to the Xavier Institute. Somehow he knew that was where the toad had gone. Something in his gut told him so. And he had to get there fast, he just had to. He didn't have time to waste in the rush hour traffic he knew was going on throughout Bayville. He had to warn the X-Men. They didn't know about the danger Todd now posed. They didn't know. And somehow, Lance just knew Todd was on the hunt. He was hungry again.

And that meant someone was about to die.

* * *

There was a giant white building in front of Todd when his feet stopped moving. All around him, there was a cool breeze and the sounds of nature as it went on with it's normal sequences. None were aware of his presence yet. He crept forward, smelling a scent similar to that of his mate. Clean. Not like water, but like air. A simple clean smell that was unpleasant in a way for him. Nevertheless, it was the smell of something quite alive and anything alive had to have flesh and blood upon which he could feed.

Feed. Instantly, he moaned and hugged his stomach, his knees buckling together. The pain was different. He wasn't empty. He was actually very much full. How he longed for more, though. He wanted more, needed more. And his stomach ached with that longing, his body shaking in the breeze that did not even move the leaves. His senses were sharp enough to know that without looking at the treetops. He was so hungry, his senses had become thus sharp, thus sensitive. This ache had made them so. And these heightened senses made his head swim painfully with the sights and smells of the things that surrounded him. His thoughts raced, his eyes jumped from thing to thing. That smell of clean was overpowering him as he fell to the ground, a moan whispering along the wind. He couldn't focus. The pain, the pain, the scents, the sounds, the sights, everything was too big for him. He collapsed, hitting the ground and feeling it as if a million needles had just been shoved up into his skin.

He gripped the ground, desperately trying to breathe as his stomach arched up in agony. Blood and flesh and clean were everywhere, but he could only gasp and take it in. Where was it? He knew not. His eyes attempted to open, but the pain made his head throb and he could not. A cough left his lips, his body shuddering in the sudden cold of the summer day. The breeze was breathing ice down his back and then the clean was right by his face.

Two devastatingly bright red lights glowed near him. Two hands rolled him onto his back and he could only cry out. The lights hovered over him, a finger grazing his cheek. That touch could've drawn blood, it was so painful.

And then there it was. That underlying scent. The one only his extreme senses could pick up. Blood. Flesh. A living being, with veins full of the liquid that he treasured and the food he needed to fill his already full belly. His eyes slowly opened upon realizing that this thing with glowing lights was alive. He saw a face with dark shades and dark hair, leaning over him and speaking rapidly. A vein popped in his temple, right above those eyes. Another one in the cheek.

" -ou alright? Are you sick? Tulansky?" a voice echoed in the far off reaches of the universe as he carefully rose up into a sitting position. In a spilt second, he was directly in front of this boy, their faces were even. He knew in the more human side of his brain to avoid the eyes. The vein in the temple was too dangerous.

More words were spoken. Todd never heard them. He watched, inching down slightly so as not to frighten the prey. A hand felt his forehead, and the boy began to rise to his feet, saying more things foreign to those animal ears. There was a flash of movement and a scream rang out as Todd slammed the boy down into the ground with a strength he hadn't been aware he possessed. More noise. It was making the pain searing throughout his forehead worse. Baring teeth, he shoved his hands inside that warm mouth. He grabbed the upper and lower jaws and jerked them in opposite directions as a fit rage washed over him.

A loud rip and crack and snap echoed in the quiet of the grounds. The lower jaw tore away from the upper and blood began to pool up quickly. It filled the gaping hole as the body gave shudder after shudder, dying. The red liquid poured into the grass in thick streams from said hole. One last violent shudder splattered blood across the cold eyes of the toad as he licked his lips and quivered with absolute delight.

Like a wild creature, Todd lapped up the blood as it rested in the human head bowl. The liquid was warm, but fading quick. Yet, it was the poison he longed for, desired more then air. It ran down his throat and settled in his belly, creating a warm sensation almost too sinful to bear. He let out a gasp, a pant, and tilted the bowl, greedily drinking up the blood as it gushed over the teeth. He licked the cheeks, the eyes, the shades, free of the blood as it dried, his hands caressing the neck that stretched full length. His tongue ran over the skin and his stomach gave a lurch. Stars popped in front of his eyes before he could control himself.

The desire was too much. There was no time to enjoy or savor the moment. His fangs ripped through the cheek, breaking the bone off with a sickening crack. He swallowed, hands twisting the neck around. The bowl thudded into the ground, the spine giving off pops as it broke several times. The back of the head was now forward and then the flesh ripped and there was no head at all. He plunged his mouth over the hole and chewed on the spinal cord. Chunks of flesh were torn off, a shoulder was gone, and then he dug his fingers into the tissue and muscle revealed. His eyes glazed over as he began to shove strips down his throat, his speed increasing so much so he wasn't sure what he was eating until he was biting through what remained of the spinal cord. Half the corpse was gone and he'd only gotten started.

On he gored, barely tasting the pieces he ate as he did. But this wasn't about the taste. It was solely about the feeling he had in his stomach. That feeling that he was filling that gaping, agonizing hole inside him with this boy. That feeling that his stomach was stretching to make room for all this extra, unneeded food. He wanted to be full again. He knew he had to. That or his stomach would turn inside out and he'd be swallowed up into oblivion so dark he would be consumed by that throbbing in his head and he'd have nothing left but to scream for the rest of eternity. So he had to eat. He had to fill himself. And this boy was perfect. So clean, so big, so bloody, so right. He would fill him. Fill him so the pain would stop and he could go back to his mate.

His mate. Where was his mate? Todd froze over the arm he had been tearing to pieces. His eyes slide to the left, to the right, then forward. He was alone with the prey that laid in a sticky pool of dried blood and bits of itself. His mate was nowhere to be found. In his desire to fill himself, he'd left behind the only thing that could truly fill him.

Slowly, the mutant's eyes changed back into gold. The memory of the pain vanished and he was left shaking in cold terror as he stared down at the remains. The head gave him a disgusting, distorted stare, shades knocked to the side. His body went icy, backing away as he tried to speak. Flies began to buzz around the body and he choked, hands feeling the bulge of his stomach. Tears ran down his cheeks, but there was nothing he could do. His thoughts jumbled together, his body rising and running from the scene as a single blood drop ran down the cheek of the boy he'd know for years.

It looked like a tear of blood.

He cried out, running off the grounds of the Institute at break neck speed. His world was bathed in red, that image floated across his eyes repeatedly. All he could do was sob into his hands, fighting the urge to throw up. As he wasn't looking, he gave a startled cry when he crashed into someone and that someone held onto his arms.

" TODD!! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!!!" Lance roared, spinning around so that he could pin the younger mutant against the gate. Todd hiccuped, trying to say something. His sobs, however, made the words incoherent, " What! Who's dead! I know you've killed someone else! Who!"

" S-s-s-sum-summers...Oh Gawd," Todd threw his arms around Lance's waist and let out the howl of a wounded animal, his legs giving out beneath him. The rock tumbler was jerked down at the sudden weight, but he remained standing. Shock made him unmoveable. All he could do was stand rooted to the spot and try to will himself to say something to comfort the boy clinging to his shirt so tightly.

" Scott?" was all he could manage, though. He felt Todd give a dry heave and his hands automatically locked around his head, securing him. The younger shook so hard, his words once again drowned in the sheer violence of his sobs. The older merely held him, his grip so fierce out of horror and fear. They remained as such until Todd collapsed completely and Lance was forced to support him.

A shrill scream pierced the sky. Both of the them jerked towards the Institute. Todd appeared to be frozen by it, whereas Lance was brought to life. He grabbed the toad's wrist and ripped him off the ground. He dragged him down the sidewalk, looking all over the place to be sure no one saw them with all that blood. The other followed as if he wished to but only did because he had to. In a matter of moments, they burst into the blood stained entrance hall and Lance had the door shut. He slammed himself against it, staring at the still shuddering, tear streaked face of the mutant in front of him.

And it suddenly became clear. Lance hadn't been aware that it wasn't clear from the beginning, from the moment he saw the paperboy splashed over the walls, from the second he was swallowed whole. But it hadn't been. But it was now. Clearer then crystal. Todd was a murderer, possessed by the animal side of his mutation, and Lance was enabling his possession. There was little doubt that this exact train of events would happen over and over again. The killings would continue. That was increasingly obvious, as Lance had already concluded that Todd had no control of when or where or why he shifted personalities. But it was now clear what was going on behind the scenes.

Lance was the mate of a murderer. And he was going to protect him and allow him to kill at will. Why, he had no idea. He would, though. He would, for sure, he knew as he looked at those terrified, unsure golden eyes. Somewhere beneath that fear lurked a purple eyed monster that was pleased with itself, he knew.

He only smiled as he stepped over and embraced his mate, knowing full well that it was all so very wrong.

* * *

Next chapter will be up soon. 


	4. Return

A/N- Pay attention children. There will be a test later.

* * *

There was a banging on the front door later that night. Lance's head jerked up, fear washing over him. This fear, however, was different then that which he'd been drowning in over the last two days. This was almost a panic. A panic that the police were here to drag him and Todd off to jail for the murders of the paperboy and Scott Summers. For a second, this fear overwhelmed him and he couldn't understand the million of thoughts rushing through his brain. Should he wake Todd and run? The backdoor led into the woods. There was a chance they'd be able to escape. Should he stay where he was and let this nightmare end properly? Todd was a pretty hard sleeper. There was little chance he'd wake up and attack the police. Or worse, kill Lance for betraying him.

Before he could pick which fate was better, though, there was a loud crash and shattering of glass. Someone had just broken in through the kitchen window. That definitely wasn't something the police would do. They would've broken the door down. Not the window.

Snatching up his bat, Lance left his bedroom, casting a glance back at where his mate was soundly sleeping on his bed. Swallowing, he quietly crept down the stairs, raising his weapon over his head. He could hear swearing and it didn't sound like English. Although slightly curious to see who had dared to break into a well known mutant household, he slammed the bat down anyways. It connected with solid air and then he was smacked across the face.

" DON'T YOU FUCKING TRY TO HIT ME, ALVERS!!!" screamed Pietro, who glared venomously at the stunned rock tumbler, " _Why_ the hell was the front door locked! I had to break the Goddamned window!"

" _Pietro_?" Lance exclaimed, dropping the bat. The blond arched an eyebrow, before repeating his initial question, " Does it matter why the door was locked? Why'd you break the window? Don't you have a fucking key? I mean, you actually live here,"

" You're the only one with a key. That's why we agreed not to lock the front door," he reminded him, pushing his ungelled hair out of his face, " For crying out loud, even the back door was locked. Why?"

Silence fell over the room. Lance wasn't sure he ought to tell his teammate about that afternoon. Pietro had been traumatized enough by the paperboy's death. There was no doubt in the older mutant's mind as to how he'd react if he found out the doors were all locked because Todd had gotten loose and eaten one of the X-Men. Yet, he knew Pietro would hear about the hero's death by morning. All he had to do was turn on the TV. It'd been all over the evening news. It'd be all over the morning news too. And he'd really get suspicious if Lance decided watching TV was against the few rules the house did instate. Thus, he closed his eyes and just barely muttered what he figured would be the shortest version of the story.

" Todd got out and killed Summers," as soon as he said it, the world ended.

Everything got deathly quiet. Those blue eyes widened to the point of being too wide for that pale face. Pietro actually didn't move. He didn't breathe. He merely stared with a horrified look distorting his beautiful features, as though waiting to be told it was all a mistake and it couldn't have been the boy they'd been living with for the past year. All Lance could do was glance down at the floor, unable to face such an accusing look. He heard footsteps and looked back up to find the blond collapsing into a chair, his body shaking uncontrollably.

" Summers? Toad killed Summers? How?" the younger looked up with an expression of hopelessness. What was going on just beyond those eyes, the rock tumbler knew not. He shrugged, as he hadn't seen the body, " HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!!!"

" I didn't let this happen! He was sick and sleeping in the fucking hallway! I went to the bathroom! It's not a crime!"

" MURDER IS MOST DEFINITELY A CRIME!!!"

" I didn't kill anyone!"

" YES YOU DID!! BECAUSE YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE HERE TO STOP HIM!! YOU DID THIS!!" Pietro was on his feet and directly in front of Lance. The few inches difference in their height melted away to nothing. As with all the Maximoff's, when the blond was furious, he appeared to fill the room, " YOU NEVER SHOULD OF LEFT HIM!!! YOU SHOULD OF TIED HIM UP!!!"

" Lance?" a slang voice echoed from the upstairs hallway. Lance grabbed Pietro's face, covering his mouth and holding his still. Both stared as a shadow came down the stairs and Todd leaned around the railing. His gold eyes looked faded and his body was cast in darkness. The effect made the blond's legs give out and he fell into the other's arms completely.

" Feeling any better?" the rock tumbler questioned, his voice surprisingly even. Todd shook his head, walking over shyly. The sheer calmness of the situation appeared to make Pietro more terrified then before, as he shuddered violently, " Look! Quicksilver's come home!"

" Yo," Todd waved in his direction, then looked up at Lance. His eyes were fading fast, darkening around the edges, " Is there any reason why chu down here?"

" Um... just talking to Pietro,"

" _Come upstairs now, Lance_," the voice that came out of Todd's mouth was that of another. His eyes dimmed to a violet gold, that wicked color. Lance felt his body freeze when two webbed hands touched his arms and this creature in front of him hopped up onto tippytoe to give him a kiss on the cheek. Then, with a wave, the youngest mutant left the room, slightly swaying as if under the influence of some drug. His footsteps echoed into the night, followed by the closing of a door.

Pietro ripped himself out of Lance's arms. In a second, he was across the room, up against the counter. The terror in his face was that of disgust and he pointed at his teammate, mouth moving but unable to form words.

" Shut up, Pietro," the other mutant snapped, touching the spot that monster had kissed him and shivering, " You don't understand. Todd's other side... he mated with me... both sides think they love me... there's nothing I can do... they can only mate once..."

" Todd raped you?!"

" No. He didn't... he... he... he..." here was where Lance's voice failed him. His hands motioned to his stomach, his mouth, but he couldn't say what had actually happened out loud. There was a wind and then Pietro was standing next to him, watching closely. A time pasted when nothing was said, then the blond took the other's hands in his and squeezed hard.

" It doesn't matter. What matters is that you're FUCKING A MURDERER!!!" a hand shot across Lance's face once more, " I don't fucking care WHAT happened! You can't seriously think whatever the hell's going on is okay, can you!! Todd's eaten two people! And obviously done something to you!! We have to call the police!! We have to!! Lance, we'll get caught!! I'm telling you we will! Now, let's g-"

Lance practically threw Pietro into the wall, he spun him around so hard. One hand locked over that screaming mouth, one holding those hands together. He flattened his friend against the wall, something close to fire making his eyes look frightening. At once, the blond quieted, choking on the same form of fear he felt whenever he saw Todd nowadays. There was just something not quite right in the rock tumbler's eyes that made part of his soul freeze over. A panic of death washed over him, his eyes slightly rolled back, and he realized Lance was suffocating him where he stood. His body began to go numb, sinking down slowly.

" We're not going to the police, okay? Todd is perfectly harmless. We have to protect him from this monster, okay? There's a trigger. A point he changes. We just have to figure out what it is and we'll be okay, okay?" Lance whispered into Pietro's ear, " He's scared. We can't leave him like this,"

He released the other mutant and Pietro fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

* * *

Day broke and the entire Boarding House was bathed in the blood red light of morning. Pietro was sitting on the last step of the stairs, looking at the red wooden floor and desperately trying not to picture the paperboy. Upstairs, he could hear Lance walking around, getting ready to greet the day. Hopefully, Todd was still asleep and would stay that way for the rest of his days. The blond gave a shudder and a flash of the green eye staring up from half a face jumped across his mind. He moaned, sinking down and covering his face with his hands, which he was slightly surprised to find were shaking.

He wasn't sure why he'd stayed after Lance had nearly killed him. Probably for the same reason he'd come home in the first place. Although he knew he should turn Todd in, he knew just as well that he'd go down for the crime too. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison. He'd come home to make sure Lance hadn't chickened out and told the police. When he'd found out about Scott, though, he'd wanted to tell the police anyways. After a near death experience, he wasn't sure what he wanted. On one hand, he was trapped in a house with a monster who ate people and having sex with Lance, who seemed to be under the impression that they could still save Todd. On the other, he would be in jail, guilty for turning in the only people he'd even remotely considered friends. Maybe, he thought, he was staying for the same reason Lance was. They truly believed, deep down inside, that Todd could be saved and they, somehow, could get rid of the beast inside him.

Whatever the reason, though, he'd stayed through the night and had helped Lance board up the window. Neither of them wanted Todd to get out, even if they felt he could be helped. He'd slept down on the couch, for whatever little time he could sleep. Now he was sitting there, waiting to be told how they were going to go about life as if nothing had happened, as if everything was normal.

Footsteps came down behind him and his entire being went viciously tense. Then Lance dropped down next to him, sighing. The blond relaxed a little, looking at him, knowing he was going to say something.

" I really thought you'd be gone by now," was what he said, running a hand through his brown hair. Pietro was quiet for a moment, turning his eyes up to the ceiling. Then he gave a shrug.

" I was thinking..." he paused, eyes sliding over to the rock tumbler, " We should name that other side of Todd's," the look he got was sheer confusion, " You know... so we know it's not Toady doing all this. Because we know he couldn't. He's.. uh... well, he's no murderer. So... I was thinking Travis,"

" _That's_ what you were thinking about? After everything's that's happened?" Lance demanded, voice sounding downright angry. Pietro only shrugged, not about to admit what thoughts had truly been consuming his mind. Those haunting memories and disconnected moral values were his burden to bear and his alone.

" So... is Travis good?"

Before Lance could answer, however, the phone began to ring. They both jumped and stared into the living room where the noise was coming. Niether made a move to answer it. In fact, they crept up the stairs slightly. Lance had the fleeting feeling that it was one of the X-Men, calling to see if they knew anything about Summers' death whereas Pietro was under the strongest impression that the police where calling to question them about the disappearance of the paperboy. The world went hazy around the edges, neither were daring to breathe. The answering machine roared to life, their own voices, along with Fred and Todd's, whirled up, announcing that the Brotherhood wasn't home and to leave a message. There was a deafening beep and a voice, deep and shaking, echoed out into the blood red morning at the Boarding House.

" Hey, guys... it's Freddy..." he began, stopping for a moment. He knew there was no time limit on the machine, " Uh... I don't think I'll be comin' home... er... I... I... need... some more uh time... but I won't rat ya'll out... uh..." there was another pause, " Tell Toad I'm sorry. See ya later,"

There was a click and the world was quiet once more. A door opened and closed upstairs and the mutants looked up to see Todd stumble into the bathroom, yawning. The door closed and both found themselves looking at the other. Pietro's scared eyes willed Lance to speak. But words of comfort he could not find. Somehow, he found that comfort wouldn't help them now. So, he said the only thing that came to mind.

" Looks like it's just you, me, Todd, and Travis now,"

* * *

Were you paying attention? Good. Well, looks like two more people are on the chopping block for the next two chapters. But who? Who? Who do you think it'll be? One's X-Man, one's Brethren. But who?

We're half way done now. Next chapter will be up soon.


	5. Visitor

A/N- And on the Eighth day, God said, let there be VIOLENCE.

* * *

The news was buzzing with the report of local hero Scott Summers' murder for the next two days. Pietro spent said days curled up in front of the tube, a black blanket he'd stolen from his sister's bedroom draped over his slender body. All day, all night, he switched news channels, listening to sad women talk about the honor roll, church going X-Man, who'd died viciously on the grounds of his surrogate home, the Xavier Institute. The reports on the second day detailed the closed coffin funeral that had been held earlier that day. Pietro had suggested going to Lance, out of respect, but nothing more had been said on the topic as Todd had burst into hysterics at the very mention of Summers' name a few seconds later. In order to keep Travis under control, the rock tumbler had decided they shouldn't stress Todd out. Thus, Cyclops had been laid to rest without the Brethren's presence. The plan was, should anyone ask, that they figured they wouldn't be wanted and had stayed away from the grieving mutants.

Now that it was afternoon on the third day since Scott had been eaten, Pietro was growing quite tired of hearing about it. Not to mention the heart breaking pleads from a Mrs. Webber, who was searching for her son, who'd vanished without a trace on his paper route. So, sighing, he clicked the TV off and sat there in the bright room in silence. He could faintly make out Lance upstairs. He knew it was Lance because Todd was in the kitchen staring at the ceiling from the corner he'd been shaking in for the past thirteen hours. From what he could tell, Lance was walking around, probably pacing and trying to figure out what their next step was going to be.

Figuring helping his teammate would be a whole lot more productive then sitting in the living room, he climbed off the worn out couch and drifted out and towards the stairs. Halfway there, however, there was a loud knock on the door. He jumped half a foot off the floor before spinning around in terror. Could it be the police? Were they finally going to arrest them for aiding in murder? Was this it? Should he run and let the others take the fall? They had, after all, done most of the damage. Although the option was tempting, he found himself inching the door open and peering outside anyways.

Evan Daniels was standing on the porch, glancing around and clutching his skateboard tight. His eyes were puffy from crying and he didn't look like he'd slept in days. Yet, it was the mere fact that he was actually standing on the doorstep that surprised and terrified Pietro more then his overall appearance.

" Daniels? What the fuck are y-you doing here?" he questioned, desperately trying to keep his voice calm. It was difficult, though, as this was one of the people the Brethren had been hoping to avoid until they could figure out what to do about Travis.

" Dude, what happened to your window?" the other mutant asked instead, pointing at the boarded up section of the wall next to him.

" We got into a fight. Does it matter? What're you doing here?" he repeated, swallowing and leaning in the doorway. Only years of lying and tricking people led to him being able to act like his normal self, especially considering he was trying to hide the blood stained entrance hall.

" Xavier wanted to know why you guys didn't show at um Scott's funeral... I volunteered to come... needed to get out of the house..."

" Yeah, we heard about Summers. S-sorry about your loss... he was a g-great guy," Pietro's knees shook slightly and he uncontrollably glanced over his shoulder to where he knew Todd was, " We didn't show because, y'know, we figured we wouldn't er be wanted. Since Summers hated us and um everything... why?"

" The professor wanted Toad to speak at the ceremony,"

Pietro couldn't stop his face from whitening, even if he stopped his mouth from dropping. The irony, as sick as it was, got him. At first he wanted to laugh. Then he had the faintest moment where he thought maybe Xavier knew what had happened and was using this as a way to get a confession out of the boys. Then he was just overcome in confusion. Even if this wasn't a plot against them, he couldn't imagine why Todd would be a candidate to speak at Summers' funeral. The two had never been close, enemies if anything. They'd never liked each other. To be completely honest, they'd been polar opposites and clashed horribly. Clearly, this confusion showed on the blond's face, because the next moment Evan was clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck.

" The professor said... Toad knew Scott... they'd gone to school together for a while... y'know... dude, I don't really know... he just wanted to have him speak... was gonna ask him when you guys showed up. Got him wondering why you hadn't," the younger tried to explain. He failed, as Pietro was still confused, " Anyways... Xavier said he wanted to talk to you. All of you. Seems to think this... attack was against mutants and wants to know if you've noticed anything... weird,"

" Uh... I have to run this by Lance. Um... just stay here and uh... don't leave," he said, his voice beginning to shake, " And don't do anything loud, okay, Daniels? Todd's sleeping and he hasn't been himself lately,"

" Ok-"

The door was slammed shut in Evan's face before he could utter another word. He stared in shock as footsteps, inhumanly fast, vanished up to the upper levels of the Boarding House. Chalking it up to old time rivalry, he let it go and merely stood outside, waiting for what he hoped would be a positive response from the rock tumbler. So, he stood there, rocking back and forth, doing nothing until he heard a moan from just inside the front door. He froze up, recognizing the accent of that voice. Slowly, he crept the door open and peered inside to see Todd holding his head and shaking in the dim hallway.

" Toad?" he whispered, walking inside and shutting the door. The other mutant looked up at the sound of his name, " Hey, Toad. What's wrong? Maximoff said you weren't feeling good. What's wrong, man?"

" My head... it's killin' me..." he muttered, swaying a little. Evan reached out to steady him but got the distinct feeling he shouldn't and instead drew a bit back. Hesitation and fear was starting to wash over him as Todd raised his head and he saw that those friendly, familiar gold eyes were much darker then usual. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

" Hey, man... what's wrong with y-" he didn't get anything else out because at that moment, Todd grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the opposing wall. He choked and scratched at the floor, glancing around in fear.

The floors, the walls, they were all stained red.

Spikes shot from the younger mutant's body. Instantly, Todd jerked back, his webbed hands cut and bleeding. Evan pointed at him, body shaking as he crawled into the open hallway. For a moment, they just looked at each other, Todd's body crouching down and Evan's shaking so badly he slipped and fell backwards. Still, his spiky skin kept the other at bay as he found words to express the horror consuming his body.

" You! You! It was you!"

Anger washed over Evan and he aimed his hand at the practically glowing violet eyes of the mutant in front of him. A spike shot out but didn't pierce it's target. To Evan's terror, Todd caught it and spun it in his hands, a feat he'd never been able to do. As it became clear that this wasn't the powerless mutant he'd beaten so many times before, the toad had crossed the space between the two. He leered over him, baring sharpened teeth.

Travis slammed the spike through the boy's head with enough force to snap the neck backwards. Blood splattered from the open mouth as the head crashed back into the floor. Sheer anger, however, distorted his passion and he longed not for the blood. Yes, his stomach and head were both throbbing in time to his heart beat. However, this boy had harmed him and therefore enraged him. Instead of licking up the blood that flowed effortlessly from that open hole, he grabbed hold of the remaining spikes and began to tear them from his body. Blood trickled out from the small holes as they closed on their own. Twirling them with human precision, he slashed open the boy's middle and ripped the organs from his body. With two forceful tugs, he cracked the rib cage open and felt his anger melting away.

Without the anger, though he let out a cry as his body doubled over, collapsing into the remains of the boy. He shuddered despite the warmth of the blood he was soaked in. His mind swam with darkness, nothing making any sense. His human side tried to will him to move, but the agony was too much. All around him was what he needed to survive, yet moving was becoming far too difficult.

As his eyes began to roll back in his head, though, he tasted a bit of the wine he desired so much. At once, he was overwhelmed by the passion only that liquid could bring to him. His body shook, his mind swam, and he smiled into the pool he was lying in. Without thought, he found himself on his knees, lapping up the cooling liquid as it poured out and spread across the floor. And then there was no floor. The world ceased to exist. He was alone with his prey, as it rightly should be.

His teeth sank into the flesh hanging from the broken ribs. It was drenched in blood and tasted so sweet he shuddered as it slid down his throat. His hands began to rip chunks of the boy off and shove them greedily into his mouth. Every piece dripped of the blood and he found the effect divine. The last boy had been almost dry. The first, he barely remembered. This, however, this was what could only he described as heaven. He felt full in a matter of minutes, but only pieces of the boy were missing. He wanted more, he wanted so much more. Being full wasn't good enough anymore.

Although he didn't need to, Travis tore the spinal cord from the body, pulling it up through the stomach. He twisted the head off, kneeling in the drying blood. The bone was sticky as well and he broke it into pieces to eat. His hands found an arm and he cracked it in half, chewing on the bone and then ripping the muscle off. His stomach was starting to hurt, he could hear his clothes beginning to rip. He felt ill. He'd been eating for days, his usual diet, but this meal couldn't be ignored. The blood was too much. He needed it too much. He wanted it too much. He ate more pieces, cramming them into his mouth even though his body was shaking and his head was cloudy. His greed had grown too far, he couldn't say no, and thus he bit the heart in two and swallowed. His stomach gave a lurch, but he shoved the second half inside his mouth and choked it down. The blood filled his mouth with every mouthful and he relished the taste as it warmed him from the inside out.

Travis's hands picked the body to pieces and his stomach begged him to stop. But he needed more. His head, his greed, urged him forward and he snaked his way to the thrown organs. One hand touched the bulge of his stomach, the other pushed the pieces of the boy into his mouth. The blood was cold. Disappointment made him shake and sob, actual tears running down his face as he licked his fingers and found himself scanning the room for any remaining pieces. The head. The spike still had liquid running down from it.

In a second, the mutant had forced his way over. Travis bit down on the cheek and tore it from the skull with a sickening snap. The face collapsed and the fine wine gushed out. His body quivered, everything said no, but he broke the face to pieces and glutted himself on the remains. His hunger was well over satisfied, but his hunger for blood had only increased.

Thus, when he heard a gasp from up the stairs, he immediately turned around, licking his bloody lips.

His mate was standing up all those stairs, gripping the railing. Next to him was another boy, who was screaming. That boy disappeared, leaving Travis' mate alone. Steadying himself by keeping both hands on his curved stomach, the violet eyed mutant headed up the steps that separated him from the person he longed to be near. The closer he got, the cleaner the air got and the more he wanted his beloved. His mate shuddered, drawing back. He tripped and fell onto the ground as Travis reached him and stared down at him with dead eyes.

His hands found his mate's face and he held tight, kissing him deeply on the lips. Everything tasted clean, pure, just as it had the day they'd lost their innocence to one another. He licked the inside of his love's mouth, enjoying the feel too the point of forgetting the blood he knew was just beyond that skin. His mouth switched positions and he ran his tongue along the cheek of his lover, watching as those brown eyes widened, revealing their color to a devastating extent. Travis moaned into the embrace, kissing him once more and clicking his jaw out of place. He knew what he was doing and although his stomach was fit to bursting, he pushed his mate's head inside.

There was no struggling. Only tenseness that began to ease as he guided the body into his mouth. It was easier the second time and he soon found his mate all the way inside and his jaw clicked shut. Groaning, Travis slid down to the ground, hands touching the sides of his swollen stomach. He couldn't have felt worse, but he couldn't have felt better. He was as full as he could be and his head was bathed in delight as he felt the pinches and aches of his lover adjusting his position against the remains of the boy also inside him. Slowly, he breathed in and out, smiling up at the ceiling.

Despite the pain he felt from having eaten too much, Travis couldn't help but grin. His mate had settled down and remained calm, curled up inside what he knew to be a warm and sticky home. His body relaxed, his hands caressed his belly, stroking his mate tenderly. His head became hazy with rest and his eyes shut. This truly was heaven, he knew.

Yet, he also knew he couldn't stay mated with his love for much longer. So, he gave his stomach a push and he expelled his lover. He stared at him from where he was stretched out on the floor, dripping in a mixture of slime and blood, and said nothing. Travis crawled over, kneeling in front of him, and kissing him gently on the lips. His lover shook, wiping some of the gunk off his face. Sensing discomfort, Travis leaned in close, until they were eye level and willed himself to speak, even though English was not his first language.

" _Love_," he cooed, snuggling against the ever warm chest of the other. An overwhelming scent of sweat and clean washed over him and he licked the flesh again. Icy water. The same taste he'd fallen in love with.

Without much consideration or thought, Travis plunged his tongue back into the mouth of the boy in front of him. Before, he'd been too preoccupied with blood to truly appreciate the simple taste of his lover. Now it consumed him and made his head hazy once more. He moaned and felt the body below him stiffen. Still, he embraced his lover tightly, squeezing his shoulders and running his tongue over the roof of his mouth. He felt two hands on his own shoulders and suddenly came to.

Todd's eyes faded back to gold and he jerked away from where he'd been kissing Lance deeper then he'd ever kissed another person before. The rock tumbler appeared to be shocked, yet calm at the same time. As the younger mutant opened his mouth to explain, to speak, Lance shushed him and cradled him against his wet chest.

" It's okay, Todd... I like it... I don't mind... it feels good..." he whispered, smiling faintly upon remembering the absolute warmth and comfort of his time in Todd's stomach. This time he'd known what was happening and found that he had drifted into a wonderful half slumber inside him. Though it scared him that he found the womb like sensation so relaxing, he couldn't say he didn't enjoy the idea of it happening more often.

The fact that only Travis could give him that sensation, on the other hand, was terrifying.

Yet, he couldn't help but smile as he hugged and soothed the shaking Todd, who was no doubt recalling the murder of Evan. As he wondered how he was going to heal the wounds of another murder, he glanced towards Pietro's door, knowing that the blond was on the other side. He couldn't help but question whether or not trusting the speedster was a good idea now that it was becoming clear that he was in love, if not with Todd and Travis, then with what they could give him.

On the other side of said door, said blond sat, also questioning past decisions. His body shivered violently as he stared out the crack in the doorway as Lance and Todd embraced. After all he'd seen, he couldn't even scream. He'd seen the remains of what must of been Evan. He'd warned him. He'd told him to stay outside. Would that had saved him? Probably not. Either way, Evan was dead, Travis' third victim. There would have to be another cover up, another act of pretending the mutant had never made it to their house, which meant another X-Men would show up to question them. It would more then likely be Jean. Or Kitty. Would they get eaten too? Or would Travis be unable to kill them and they'd be caught then? Was this the end? Or could they tame the beast before someone else came to investigate and ended up in that expanding belly?

No matter what happened, Pietro knew no good could come of his decision to stay. Not if Travis was mating with Lance in _that_ way. Not if Lance was enjoying it. Not if Lance egged Todd on to get Travis to swallow him, as was the speedster's fears as he watched the two hug. No good at all.

Was it too late to run now? He feared it was.

* * *

Ta-Da. Next chapter will be up soon. 


	6. Blood

A/N- And on the Ninth day, God said, let there be BLOOD.

* * *

The house smelled like blood and death. Pietro was sitting in the corner of his bedroom, his bags packed around him. He'd unpacked and repacked his things at least eight hundred times since Evan had met his end downstairs, twelve hours before. It was day break now. Dawn. A new day. And he was seriously debating risking his life by running away from the hell hole the Boarding House had become in the last week. He'd dealt with too much.

Jean had shown up at their door hours earlier, looking for Evan. He'd had to lie and say the mutant had never arrived, while refusing to let her inside; he said it was due to the unkept condition and her being a lady and all. The truth was, the entrance hall was so stained in blood, it'd be completely obvious they'd killed someone somehow there. He also had to insist she not speak to Lance or Todd, which she wanted to do, thinking maybe Pietro had been out when Evan got there. He couldn't let her talk to either. Lance was upstairs, guarding his bedroom, and Todd still had a curved stomach from eating the missing mutant in question. So, he turned Jean away without any more answers then she'd had when arriving.

To make matters worse, Kitty had been calling all day, trying to get in touch with Lance. She claimed she needed his support, the comforting shoulder of her boyfriend. However, her beau was much too preoccupied with his new lover to even care that she was finally calling. So, tired of hearing her voice over the answering machine, the speedster had answered and calmly informed her that Lance was out shopping for food and he'd call her back sometime when he got home. That was a lie and he knew he'd have to talk to her again when the older mutant didn't return her calls. How suspicious would that be?

He knew things couldn't go on as they were. Travis was out of control and Lance was too wrapped up in their twisted mating ritual to really put an end of his reign of terror. Fred had already gotten away, because he'd been too scared to come home. Now, it was time for Pietro to get out. He wasn't about to die at the hands of a mutant he'd been able to bully a week beforehand. His pride wouldn't let him. Besides, he'd always kinda hoped he could live to see eighteen. He wasn't going to let Todd Tulansky get in the way of that.

Thus, he scooped up his bags once and for all and inched over to his cracked open door. Carefully, he peered outside. The entire world was black, but he could tell that Lance's door was shut. As the two mutants slept together nowadays, he knew Todd had to be in there as well. This was going to be easy if he did it right. Speed would mean nothing if an earthquake broke his legs before he could get off the property. And he couldn't run down stairs with bags in both hands. If something were to happen, or should Travis actually be lurking in the shadows, he would need his hands to fight. So, he had to get down the stairs first, then he could turn on his power and be rid of this monstrous hell he was trapped in for good.

He eased the door open and slipped outside. Dawn lit the downstairs through the stain glass inset in the door. The bloody floor was cast in the image of a cracked angel and the image couldn't have been more fitting. Slowly, he crept across the hall. The floorboards creaked, he froze, but no one else seemed to have woken up. Shuddering, he stepped down onto the first step. It gave a mighty squeak and he was stone, partly out of fear that it had woken Lance and partly out of terror that the old wood had finally broken and he was about to be plunged to his death anyways. Neither happened, so he started down the next two steps.

" Where do you think you're goin', Pietro?" came a dark voice from the upstairs right as two hands grabbed his shirt and jerked him backwards. Letting out a scream, the blond spilled backwards at the feet of Lance, " You can't leave, you motherfucker. You're here for the duration,"

" I'm not staying here any fucking longer and you can't fucking make me, dammit! Travis is a fucking monster and, in case you haven't noticed, HE'S TAKING OVER TODD!!!" he yelled, suddenly on his feet. Lance punched him in the shoulder but missed incredibly.

" You're not leaving!"

" Just try and stop me!"

Lance went to choke the younger mutant, but the blond ducked and ran for the stairs, deciding he could just buy new stuff. As he reached them, however, an earthquake tore across the floor and he was crushed against the wall in a flat second. His vision spun, his back ached, and he was pretty sure one of his ankles was twisted. Footsteps got closer, tremors rocketing through the ground. Pietro tried to move, but two hands snatched up his shirt and he was pinned up on the wall too fast to react. He was faced with two glowing brown eyes in a furious face.

" You're not going anywhere because you'll rat us out! And I'm not letting you do that to Todd! He's been a damn good friend to both of us and you're not gonna fuckin' ruin what's left of his life!" Lance's voice was low and vicious, biting at Pietro's heart. But the blond had long since swallowed his pride. He didn't need it. He just needed to get the hell out of that house.

" What's left of his life is fucking right! You two can live in this sick little world with your sick mating ritual, but I'm not gonna be part of it! Now get off of me, Alvers!" Pietro punched the other as hard as he could and made a break for it. Another quake ripped through the floor and he hit the ground running, tearing his jeans in the process. Blood leaked onto the floor as he screamed and clutched his violently skinned and banged knees.

Lance had a handful of his blond hair in a matter of moments and jerked his head backwards, looking frightening with his face contorted in rage. The blond squeaked out, beginning to shake. A few tears slid down his pale face as Lance punched him and he hit the floor. Still, he gripped the floor boards, trying to get to the stairs. A single blow was cracked into his stomach and he found breathing difficult. The older mutant dragged him past his things and back into his bedroom, talking words that the younger couldn't understand. Sheer anger made Lance incoherent and disconnected from the rest of the world. Thus, when the blond's eyes widened in terror as the other bedroom door opened and Todd drifted downstairs alone, the brunette took it as normal fear and just shut the bedroom door.

A punch to the head for disloyalty rendered Pietro unable to tell Lance that someone was more then likely about to die.

Downstairs, Todd poured himself a glass of ice water. His head was starting to hurt and he'd injured his wrist from being thrown from bed by an earthquake. Had he never lived with Lance before, he would have found it strange that he was beating the crap out of Pietro. Instead, he enjoyed the sense of normality and just drank the water that reminded him deeply of the rock tumbler, his mate. A shudder of pleasure went up his spine at the thought of his lover, a rare smile crossing his face. He remembered the warmth of the bed and the sensation of having him inside his body. Another shiver and then he dropped the glass. It shattered as he bent double, his eyes contracting and hurling him into utter darkness.

His head split open, his back bent and broke backwards, his body shook and twisted in every direction. He tried to scream, but no words escaped. All was agony, all was blood red. The pain was solely in his head. His stomach was still full, still curved even, but there it was, a terrible throbbing inside his forehead, as if a hand was reaching forward to take control of his body. He stumbled backwards, hit the doorframe and slid down it a little. His hands shook, his vision was blurry, he could hear the screams of the damned in his head. He didn't need anything, there was nothing to quench the anger, the hunger arising within him. His mate, he wasn't there. No blood was desired, as wonderful as it was. No flesh was to be had. Yet, his body contorted itself in an effort to detain the monster that was laughing in his head, stronger then ever.

Spots appeared in his eyes as light washed over him. Someone walked in through the front door and threw down their bag. They stripped off a jacket, kicking the door shut. It spoke and it was female. His whole body turned towards her as she stared in confusion at the walkway. She noticed him and moved her mouth. She spoke his human name, but the rest fell on deaf ears. She moved closer, spoke more, and leaned down.

She smelled like blood. She was covered in blood.

" _Run... go_," he whispered as she said his name again. He tried to will Travis away but then his brain was ripped apart and he grabbed her by the shoulders. He meant to kiss her, truly he must of. Instead, his mouth locked around hers and bit down, fangs tearing through her jaw and teeth. She screamed into his mouth as blood poured inside. Her hands glowed blue, but he knew she was dangerous from the get go and was prepared.

Travis plunged a hand into her stomach. She choked, freezing as he wrapped his fingers around her organs and ripped them out. Blood came out in a rush, her body shook violently as she fell sideways to the ground. She spat up mouthful after mouthful of blood, it gushed from the wound in her, and still she was not dead. Travis found himself on her, licking at the gaping hole and chewing on the flesh. She mumbled something, her body gave a great lurch, and her blue eyes faded out. His hands found her chest and he tore it open, causing blood to splatter on the walls and his face. His tongue ran along her heart before he took a bite. It was warm and tasted like candy as it slid down his throat. He licked his lips and consumed the rest of it.

His stomach was too stretched as it were. Eating the heart was enough. His belly hurt, but the blood was everywhere. It surrounded him and Travis couldn't just leave it. He was too greedy for it. He tore limbs away from the empty corpse and took huge bites out of the flesh. His stomach heaved, but he forced an arm down, a leg, another arm. His head was spinning, but the blood, oh the blood. It was passion in itself and he wouldn't let it go. He didn't need it and that made it that much more desirable. He glutted himself on the other leg, having to smash the bone before slipping it down his throat. He gorged on the waist, licking up the organs and swallowing them whole. His stomach ached, his body was shaking. He felt as though he'd just mated and wanted to lie down. But the blood, it was still leaking out of the body. He had to have it, even if he killed the body of his human side to get it.

His tongue ran along the spine, tasting the dried blood. Such a powerful flavor it was. Bittersweet, the perfect treat. He shuddered, his eyes rolling back slightly. His teeth found the rib cage and down he bit. Cracking filled the air as he munched away, finishing off the body and holding his curved stomach so he could eat the last piece, the head with it's missing jaw line. His human side sobbed on the inside, his body begged him not to, but he crushed the skull and crammed it into his mouth anyways. Everything felt like it was being jerked forward, but Travis held his stomach down and licked the blood still on the floor in a primitive manner. His body quivered, his head was swimming in fog, his vision was cloudy at best. But he smiled as he curled up in the dying warmth of the blood that filled the air.

A shout came from the upstairs. Travis lazily lifted his head to see his mate and that other boy running down the stairs. His mate slipped in the blood, shouting his names, both of them, and demanding to know what had happened. He smiled into the floor, his tongue gliding over the blood. The other grew close, shrieking in a foreign tongue. It made his head pound and despite his new found girth, Travis bared his teeth and pulled himself up.

One hand found the boy's leg and he gave it was swift jerk. The blond went down squealing and kicking, moving too fast to hold. Travis bit down hard on his waist and felt the body convulse in between his teeth. However, his stomach protested too much and he coughed the blood back up. The boy scrambled to his feet, clutching at the wound on his side. Travis' mate appeared to be confused as to which side to go to, as he merely stood there with a distorted look on his face. The violet eyed mutant groaned, the scent of water washing his brain around in a swirl of emotion and leaving his helpless on the floor. Words broke out over his head as his shuddered and felt himself vanishing into darkness in the dim room.

" HOLY FUCK!! HE BIT ME!! HE BIT ME, LANCE!!! HE FUCKIN' BIT ME!!!" Pietro hollered, gritting his teeth due to the pain. The rock tumbler couldn't say anything helpful. He'd seen the look in Travis' eyes. That monster had meant to eat the blond. Why he hadn't, he wasn't sure, but he was positive that had been his intent, " SAY SOMETHING, DAMMIT!!!"

As the older mutant opened his mouth to say something, though, Todd let out a whimper and tears began to roll down his bloody cheeks. He whispered to himself, his hands clutching his stomach, his eyes staring off towards the other side of the entrance hall. Lance started towards him, but Pietro's harsh glare stopped him short. There was a time where none of them moved. Then Todd curled up tighter, sobbing hysterically and turning a nasty shade of green. Lance, ignoring the Polish protests from the outraged blond, hurried to his side and touched his shoulder gently. He'd meant it to be comforting, but the look on the younger mutant's face was pain. It was as though he had been slapped, hard. His mouth continued to move and the rock tumbler leaned down to hear what he said right as Pietro stood up, his eyes moving from the scarlet jacket on the rack to the puddle of blood in the middle of the floor.

A single silver aunk earring lay in the puddle. Wanda's earring.

" I killed Wanda,"

Right as Lance jerked up from hearing those words, Pietro began to scream. He couldn't find the strength to move. He just screamed, nothing making any more sense. Nothing else mattered. He screamed and screamed, slamming his fists down into Lance's shoulders when the mutant tried to soothe him. Tears gushed down his cheeks and he bolted to the earring and scooped it up. Nothing else remained, just the single earring. He gripped it so tight, his hands began to bleed as he spun around. Fresh blood dripped down the walls and soaked into his sneakers. His sister's blood. Overwhelming panic and terror consumed him as he sobbed and backed towards the door, watching as Todd cried and Lance moved forward to stop him.

" You're both monsters!! You both killed my sister!! I hope you burn in Hell, you sadistic bastards!!!" he gasped out, opening the door as Lance ran forward. In a flash, though, Pietro was gone and a silver streak could be seen darting to the left, heading into the city. He was heading for the police, he was through, he was going to tell everything he knew and he knew everything. He even knew where the bloody papers from the first attack were, as he'd gotten rid of them.

This was it. The game was over.

No thought went into it. Had it had, he wouldn't have done it in the first place. But everything was falling apart and he didn't want it to. He was frantic and didn't act with rationality. He just grabbed Todd's wrist and heaved him up from the floor. The next second, they were running out the backroom, although it was obvious the younger mutant didn't want to or couldn't very well. Lance did most of the work, dragging his mate through the woods. The house faded into the horizon as they twisted and turned through the forest, heading in the opposite direction of the Institute. They were heading for the mountains and would surely get lost there. But still, they were moving and that was all that mattered. Because even if Pietro could move at the speed of light, the police couldn't. And they'd be long gone by the time the arresting party arrived to haul them off the jail.

On and on they ran, panting and grimacing thanks to cramping limbs. When they couldn't run any longer, they collapsed onto the forest floor, deep in the middle of nowhere. Both were breathing deeply, Todd's head resting in Lance's lap. The younger hugged his stomach, clearly in a great deal of pain and the other kissed him deeply on the lips, fighting off the shaking and crying he longed to do himself.

" It's okay, Todd... we're safe... we're together... I'm here for you..." he whispered, a few tears trickling down his face. Todd hiccuped and started to sob, burying his face in his hands.

Lance held him as the morning sun rose high into the sky. They were cast in shadow, as two monsters rightly should be. All he could do was hang his head and pray for mercy come judgement day. He was, after all, doing this out of love.

Wasn't he?

* * *

Interesting fact for anyone who cares: Pietro must of realllllly been furious when he last spoke to Lance, considering he said he hoped they burned in Hell. You see, if my religious facts are correct, Jews don't believe in Hell. So, yeah.

Next chapter will be up soon.


	7. Escape

A/N- I um... actually have nothing witty to say. So, on with the chapter.

* * *

Two days beforehand, Pietro had run out and informed the cops of the damning deeds that had been committed inside and outside the Boarding House. Lance, in a fit of panic and passion, had grabbed his lover, Todd, and fled into the woods. He hadn't been sure why he didn't just let the police take them away. Todd certainly wanted to go that way. However, things hadn't gone so smoothly and they'd been progressing deeper and deeper into the woods. They dared not use their powers, for fear of the X-Men catching them, and had simply run and run and run and run. By now, they were miles away, but in what direction, he knew not. All Lance knew was that they'd been running for two days and his lover had passed out from the exhaustion. He didn't blame him. All the damage Travis had inflicted on his body had been bound to catch up someday. That morning had been the day. The toad had fallen in a dead faint to the ground and Lance was forced to think of an alternative to running.

His solution had been simple. Find a place to rest, get supplies, and continue running until they reached Mexico, or something. They needed to reach a place where they could disappear off the map completely if they were going to avoid execution. Mexico seemed like the best bet. So, that's, presumably, where they were headed. To get there, though, they needed supplies, money, and a general idea of where they actually were. Thus, Lance had decided to take the ultimate risk.

He had left Todd alone in a cave in the forest and ventured down to a small old fashioned gas station/inn type deal. A tiny little motel on the edge of a semi busy high way that survived off over priced gas alone. He doubted that they'd heard about the two serial murderers on the loose. That's why he walked across the street and over to the store at all. He cast one last glance over his shoulder, praying that his mate would sleep away the time he was alone and wouldn't find his way to anything living.

A bell jingled when he walked inside. A clerk, an old man with missing teeth, nodded in his direction. Lance took a look around the place, not sure what he should get or even how he was going to get it back to the cave in the mountains.

" Hey," he addressed the clerk, heading over to the counter. The man gave him blood shot eyes, " You got any uh... bags or whatever up in here? Me and my uh.. girl are camping up the road and the gear got ruined. You got anything that'd help us out?"

" Sure, sure," he croaked, jabbing his finger at an old back pack that looked like it was stained in very old blood. A shudder went down the rock tumbler's spine at the irony, but he picked it up nevertheless. He gave half a smile before walking over to the shelves.

Lance began to load up on food and water, mostly things that wouldn't spoil. He hesitated, but snatched up a bar of soap too. Todd may not of thought highly of hygiene but he definitely did. Next he grabbed some blankets, a couple boxes of matches, a bottle of cheap wine, and some cigarettes. Then he carried the bag over and dropped it onto the counter with a loud thud. The man rang everything up, not bothering to ask for an ID, and gave him the total. The mutant felt around his pockets for his wallet as his eyes looked over all the things mounted on the wall behind the counter. The man leaned forward as he searched.

" She a pretty thing?"

" Excuse me?"

" Yer girl. She a pretty thing?" the way the old man grinned made Lance want to hurl or punch him. Still, he didn't want to offend the man since he'd just realized he had no way of paying for the supplies.

" Yeah, she's pretty,"

" Yeah? Yeah? That right?"

" Yup. Damn pretty. A uh... wild thing... gotta lotta fire in her," he mumbled, watching as the man bobbed his head up and down. Lance forced a rather fake smile before his hand grazed a lump in his back pocket. Curious, he reached in and fished out a small blue box. He flicked it open and stared in shock at the diamond set in real gold that glinted back at him.

And suddenly, he was standing back in the upstairs hallway the day the paperboy was murdered. He'd had such a roaring headache. Because he'd stayed up all night trying to think of the perfect way to propose to Kitty. He'd borrowed the money from the other Brethren, mostly from the out of it thief Todd. He'd spent their electrical bill payments for the entire year on that ring. That's why he'd been so angry that morning. How little that headache seemed when compared to all the things that had happened since he'd found the most perfect diamond in the world for his most perfect girl. How could he have known then that just over a week later he'd be in a crappy store on the side of the road, a wanted murderer in love with Todd himself? What a punch in the gut it was that he'd pulled on the same pants he'd been wearing that first day when he'd heard Pietro trying to escape.

And what luck.

" Here," he said, handing the box to the clerk, " Take it as payment. I don't have any money," then he pointed at something on the wall, " And throw that in too. One round ought to do it,"

Still in shock, the man reached over and brought down a small silver pistol and handed it to Lance. He loaded the gun with a round of bullets, grabbed up the bag, and walked out, tucking the gun in his belt loop. The man called out to him, asking him if he really didn't need to ring, seeing as he was going back to his girl now. The mutant gave a laugh, looking back. He was cast in shadow and even the old man could appreciate how sinister he appeared in that moment.

" Naw. She's not a ring person. Her hands are webbed," with that, he left and the door snapped shut. Lance headed across the street without looking and abandoned the clerk with the only piece of evidence that said where the two murderers had vanished to.

Neither of them knew this clerk would be the last living person to ever lay eyes on Lance Alvers.

* * *

Up in the mountains, there was a small cave off the side of a ledge. It wasn't too far up but it gave a nice overview of everything around. The place was somewhat cleared of brush and relativity dry. So, the two runaway mutants had chosen it as their home. Lance had a bit of difficulty locating it again, but decided to take that as a good sign. And a good sign was what he needed when he arrived back there and saw that the entire place was covered in red, sticky blood.

At first, he thought Todd had somehow gotten his hands on a camper. Then he saw all the feathers floating in the air and figured his mate had been bird watching. Although the thought didn't exactly sit well with him, he knew it was better then the younger eating another person. So, he ignored the feathers and walked into the cave, having to bend a bit so as not to hit his head on top. He heard laughter and recoiled a bit before two hands grabbed his shoulders and he was slammed into the miserably hard rock floor.

" _You took too long. I had to eat somethin'_," Todd breathed out, licked Lance's cheek and glaring down at him with violet gold eyes. The older mutant winced as he was licked again. Then his lover was off him and curled up on a corner behind a rather large stone.

" I don't mind,"

" They wouldn't shut the fuck up, Lance. Ya don't understand,"

" But I do. I understand. You needed to eat. W-"

" YA DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!" Todd's voice echoed all around Lance, surrounding him in an angry wave that thundered about his head. Two frightened gold eyes glowed from that corner, " It hurts. It always hurts. I can't control it. An' I'ma scared, Lance. I'm so fuckin' scared. And it hurts,"

" What hurts?" Lance crawled over to those eyes and reached forward. Right as he did, however, violet overshadowed the gold and he was pinned to the floor once more.

" _Kill!_" Travis hissed, before his eyes went goldish violet. They appeared to remain there because Todd started to sob on Lance's chest. The other mutant said nothing. He merely stroked his messy hair and tried not to bring out that other side that longed to eat something that moved, breathed, bled.

A long silence pasted between them. Todd eventually got control of his emotions and slid his body off his mate's. Lance pulled himself back into a sitting position. More time leaked by and then they started to go through the bag. Lance, who hadn't eaten much in the past two days, began to eat the snacks he'd bought. The younger, though, eyed the gun, which was explained only as 'being protection'. They didn't speak their minds about the weapon, although they both knew the other was thinking the same thing: from Travis.

Time melted away and soon darkness was settling around the cave. Lance lit a fire and draped a blanket around Todd's shoulders, giving him a reassuring squeeze. The twilight caused bent and broken shadows to spread across the floor. Each and every one of them looked like a body twisting around in a slow, painful death and made a few tears roll down the toad's cheeks. With no words of comfort coming, the brunette just pulled the blanket over the other's head and laid him down to rest. He prayed things would look brighter in the morning. They could pack and head out, head towards their future somewhere where no one knew them. So, he prayed for a good morning and nothing more.

Except to live through the night.

* * *

It hooted for the third time in the past five minutes. Todd's eyes narrowed as he sat up in the darkness of the cave. The fire had smoldered out and his lover was sound asleep next to him. He didn't hear the owl. But _Todd_ did and it was keeping him awake. He had enough trouble sleeping nowadays, what with his horrifying memories and terrible dreams. The last thing he needed was some disgusting animal keeping him up when he'd finally been able to fall into a dead sleep. So, when it gave another hoot, he gritted his teeth as he got to his feet and lightly stepped out of the cave.

A cool wind whipped through the trees, the moon was nearly gone, and all was difficult to see. Yet, he could make out the outline of the offending creature. It sat perched on a branch, hooting like some deranged, mindless thing. It irritated him like nothing else and he felt that anger trickling down his spine as he scooped up a rock and took aim.

Truly, he meant to just chuck the rock and scare it off. Right before he threw it, though, a shudder of pain paralyzed him. A wordless scream broke forth as he contorted and squeezed the stone so hard his own sticky blood dripped to the floor. His head swam with raw emotion, his body was on fire, and he could hear a demonic voice in his ear. The next moment, his eyes melted away and his brain burst forward all the animal intensity that he'd been desperately trying to contain. Hands ripped his conscious backwards and the world went red for a millisecond.

Travis dropped the stone and licked his hand as he crouched down and inched forward. He wasn't hungry. He wasn't thirsty. His mate was keeping Todd very well fed considering the situation. No. This was about the hunt. This was solely about the hunt, about the greed, about the fun of it all. Thus, having fought his way to the front, he stalked the owl as it hooted and ruffled it's feathers. It knew what was coming. All of them, those birds and those humans, they all knew it. But none of them expected how it was coming. And that made the mutant grin a wide, twisted smile before his tongue wrapped around the bird and it was in his mouth.

He could've swallowed it whole and made clean work of it. He didn't. He bit it's head off as it squawked and tried to fly away. Blood exploded into his mouth and he drank it down. He ran his teeth over the hole, spitting out some loose feathers. A chuckle echoed in the night before he ripped the body in two and swallowed each piece separately. His stomach, already full, ached slightly. However, he was beginning to like the pain and scanned the surrounding for something else that crawled with precious life.

" Todd?" the voice of his mate echoed in the silence. He bent his back backwards and gave a bloody smile. Then he snaked his way over, " T-Travis, I guess?"

" _Mate_," he whispered, stroking the cheek of his lover. The boy cleared his throat, his eyes nervously looking around at the new blood. Travis sensed discomfort. Thus he inched closer, nuzzling the nook of his beloved's neck. Words failed him, though, as he could only grasp bits and pieces of the English his human side spoke. He tried his best to speak, to express his desires to the man in front of him despite the limitations, " _Birds? You need?_"

His mate only looked confused, before saying something the monster didn't understand. Frustration built up and he bared teeth. His mate shivered visibly, drawing away. That only enraged him further and he couldn't stop himself. He lashed out, grabbing the boy's neck and slamming him down against the stone. There was a crack as the skull collided with the stone and he leered over his mate, licking his lips. Blood pounded through the man's body, getting faster and faster. Fear, the scent of it, swelled into the air, rising in waves from the man. It made Travis' head cloudy and his eyes rolled back before his greed, his desire consumed him.

He sank his teeth into the shoulder of his mate. Blood rushed over his tongue, the taste he so longed for. But, underneath that, the clean pretty taste of his lover's skin. He choked, coughed, and rose back up, wiping his mouth. His head hurt, he felt confusion for the first time. And that emotion ripped himself backwards for a second. He recalled the first embrace, that purity he adored, and suddenly he knew what he wanted above all else. He kissed his mate, forcing his tongue inside.

Icy water. His mouth filled with the taste of icy water. Everything ceased to exist through that kiss. His tongue ran along his mate's, exploring his mouth, his teeth, all that was inside. His hands grasped at the floor and he pushed harder and harder. There was a noise but he ignored it as a click went off in his head. His jaw dislocated and he took the head of his lover inside him. His throat widened for the action, slime and spit making it incredibly easy. The neck slide inside, followed by the shoulders. He held them up and eased them inside, shivering as he felt the blood and relished in it's taste. His stomach began to expand, for once the shoulders were in, the head was lowered into his stomach. Next came the waist and his throat widened even more. He fought the urge to bite down, his head swimming with desire and greed. He swallowed and he felt his lover curling up. His hands held on to the hips of his mate as he pushed them up and then they were inside as well. He nearly choked, but then the slime continued to leak out from his mouth to moisten the pants his beloved was dressed in. The fabric grew soft and he could slide the rest of the legs in shortly after. There was another pop and his jaw fixed itself.

Down Travis sank, resting his hands on either side of his large belly. Inside, he felt movement and knew his lover was getting comfortable. A smile revealed sharp fangs as he rubbed his sides, trying to soothe the boy. He felt stillness and knew all was well inside him, where his lover was bathed in love and blood. The passion made his head swim and he relaxed completely, breathing in and out deeply. There was a movement, but he just ran his fingers over the curve. A part of him wanted to leave his lover there. That way, they could be together forever. But then he would have no clean taste ever again. And he desired that almost as much as the sensation of having his mate inside.

And what a sensation it was. He felt full, completely whole. He'd become one with his love and that made his heart beat harder and harder. His eyes swam with tears as he touched the area he knew his lover's head was. He knew where it was. He knew where all of his lover was. That was part of the pleasure. He knew exactly where to touch to relax and soothe his mate. He could make this as enjoyable for him as it was for himself. That power made him laugh out loud in the stillness of the night.

But then, he knew he had to release his lover. He moaned as he gave his stomach a push and his jaw dislocated once more. His mate slide out and spilled out onto the floor, gasping and shaking, but smiling nevertheless. Travis knew he'd enjoyed it and that smile only confirmed that thought. Smiling as well, he inched over and ran a hand over the boy's face before tenderly, and roughly, kissing him. He tasted the bit of slime and the clean of water and the tastes blended strangely. He adored the taste and continued to kiss him, licking his lips and then his face free of the gunk. The boy quivered and said something he wasn't sure he understood. Thus he ignored it, caressing his beloved's face in his arms, wrapping his somewhat slender body around his upper body, holding his head to his own chest and keeping one leg bent over the boy's chest. He peered down into those brown eyes and felt more human then ever before. He longed for something aside from his natural urges.

" _Name_?" he cooed out, rubbing his thumb on the soft skin of the cheek. The boy was confused, then seemed to understand.

" Lance,"

" _Lance_," Travis repeated, before kissing him. His tongue slid from lip to temple and he smiled down at the calm face of his lover. Surely, it had been the right decision not to consume him fully. Their complete mating session could wait, he knew, as he only wished to kiss his tasty morsel. His greed wanted that innocence as he was full and had no need for blood or flesh.

" Todd," Lance said, breaking Travis' smile in two. The mutant didn't understand, as that was not his name, " Todd... I want Todd," he stated in a collected voice.

Travis drew back in shock and horror before he was ripped apart with a violent shudder. He screamed and screamed, everything growing black and hazy in the agony, but then his eyes bled out and Todd was left gasping for breath, bent over the rock tumbler's sticky body. Lance sat up, grabbing his shoulder's tightly. The younger collapsed into his arms, his body limp although he was not unconscious. The older held him tenderly, biting his lip and not saying what he'd been thinking when he'd called his teammate back to the surface. Judging by how badly Todd was shaking, he already knew. They didn't need to say it out loud.

Pietro had been right. Travis was taking over Todd. His personality was stretching beyond food and blood and killing. He was speaking more, being more caring towards Lance. He was growing more personal. He was becoming more human. And Todd had no way of fighting him. Things were out of control, out of their hands. Lance couldn't help but be terrified that Travis would rid himself of Todd's personality all together one day and the boy would fully be a monster, desiring only basic, vicious needs.

More then that, though, was the fact the Travis had wanted to know Lance's name. That was a miserable sign. It meant that he was falling in love with the older mutant. Whatever emotions the beast had held for him before, they had changed. That only complicated the problem with Travis gaining control.

Lance wasn't in love with Travis. He was in love with Todd. But Todd was disappearing behind that blood lustful creature. That thought scared Lance so much, he could only clutch at his love's hair and fight back tears.

He prayed Todd would still be there come morning.

* * *

The last chapter will be up soon. 


	8. Control

A/N- Here is the last chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

Morning cast the cave into total shadow as the light danced along the bloody ground. Todd was shaking in a corner, leaning against the large rock. Lance was sitting near him, biting his lower lip again. Their embrace had lasted hours. However, with the first rays of dawn, they'd crawled away from the other and sat alone in silence, each visiting their own irrational thoughts. The screams of the dead lurked in the background, forever ground into their skulls, whether from having heard them or imagined them was up to speculation. The feathers blew around in a light breeze that ruffled their dirty clothes and the empty food packages from the evening before. For the first time in hours, they looked at the other and met eyes. It was as if electricity went through the air, their thoughts were so highly focused.

They both knew something had to be done about Travis. Lance believed he knew what Todd was thinking. He wanted him to run and escape on his own. He was going to tell him to leave the toad with the monster and let them battle it out somehow. There was no way he was going to do that. He tried to express that in his stare, tried to get across his loyalty and show that he wasn't as afraid as he most certainly was. Everyone else had taken their chance and bolted. That or died terribly. The older wasn't going to let either happen. He was determined to see to it that they _both_ got out alive and together.

Thus, when Todd opened his mouth, Lance cut him off.

" I'm not going anywhere so don't even bother asking," he said pointedly. He forced his voice to be rock solid. It echoed slightly on the walls and made the younger shiver.

" Lance... I can't axe chu to stay here. It ain't right. Ya have a future... Travis... he'll eventually eat you... I..." Todd's words failed him here and he reached forward and grasped the rock tumbler's hands instead. Their eyes met and both felt tears coming, tears they didn't want to have to shed in front of the other.

" No,"

" Ya can't,"

It was no use, though. Lance roughly shook his head before embracing Todd tightly. He felt warmth as tears trickled down the younger's face and squeezed harder. He didn't get a hug back. In truth, he felt the smaller boy pushing against him and had no choice but to release him. Two devastatingly pained golden eyes looked straight into his soul and the words that were next spoken tore through his heart like fangs through his flesh. He was rendered speechless and stuttered for an answer for a long while after the request was placed in front of him.

" I want chu to kill me. Shoot me and run. Do it. Fer me,"

There were no words to describe the horror that washed over the older mutant when these words were spoken. Despite how bad things had become, and they had become _bad_, Lance had never assumed either of them would think of resorting to suicide. Least of all suicide in such a manner. Todd wanted to die. The look in his light gold eyes begged and screamed for it. Was being a murderer so miserable that he longed for the cold peace of death? How long had he been feeling that way? Since Wanda's untimely murder? Since the paperboy's? How had Lance been so ignorant as to not notice how deeply his love was falling into the pits of misery and depression? Was that a mark of how evil he was? Had mating with Travis left a permanent mark on his soul, tainted him somehow into twisting into a monster himself? A great shudder went down his spine at the thought, although he found it to be quite likely. After all, he wasn't nearly as shaken by the murders or the beast's frequent uprisings as Todd was. Somehow, he figured it ought to be the other way around.

" I... I... no. I'm not... I won't. I love you, Todd. Don't you see that?" was his sharp response as he grasped the other's shoulders. The toad nodded shyly, " Then how could you ask me that? I couldn't kill you,"

" I could kill chu,"

Ice felt like it'd been poured down Lance's back. It wasn't that he'd never thought Travis wouldn't eat him. That was one of his main concerns, as a matter of fact. That was the primary reason behind his purchasing a gun and loading it with a live round of bullets. However, the person who said those four words, in such a calm, mellow voice, didn't have violet eyes. They had shining gold ones. Travis was no where near the surface at that moment. It was Todd alone speaking.

And he'd just said he could kill him as if telling him the sky was blue. There was no hesitation, no shaking of voice, no cast away glance, nothing. Just the confidence of someone who knew the answer to a question that was about to be asked. Todd could kill him. And he knew it.

Lance's hands let go of the boy's shoulders as he fell back against the stone wall. Todd crawled closer, his body moving in ways only Travis' had before. Todd wasn't that confident. He wasn't that sure. He wasn't that cocky. He never moved like that. He was never seductive. Everything about the way he leered over the rock tumbler was reflective of the creature inside him. The way his head tilted, the way his hips swung from side to side, the closeness between their faces, as if one wrong move would have them kissing. All of it was Travis. Todd moved more humanlike, kept his head down and looked up through his bangs, and preferred distance. This wasn't right. His eyes were gold. Solid gold. Pure gold. Why was he acting exactly like Travis? How could that be possible?

" I know you'll do it fer me, Lance," his webbed hands touched the sides of Lance's face lightly. The touch, the way those fingers moved, wasn't human. At the very least, Todd's touch was normally human.

Then it happened. The one thing that blew the older mutant's mind into oblivion. Everything ceased to be real and the world had vanished into a fit of sheer confusion. His breath stopped, his heart jumped to his throat, and it was clear that there was no longer a line separating Todd and Travis. The line had blended, the two people had begun to become one over the dark night. Gold eyes or not, Lance realized he was in absolute grave danger when his love, the boy he'd silently pledged undying devotion to, leaned down and committed an act worse then murder.

Todd licked his cheek, his eyes foggy with desire.

A moment pasted in which time moved at a snail's pace. The younger mutant straddled his mate and caressed his face, licking his lips and kissing him as though possessed. His eyes, however, remained gold. That monster inside him was getting through in all sorts of ways that tears formed in Lance's brown eyes. He'd never thought the takeover would be so fast, so rapid, so complete. In his darkest hours, he'd considered the possibility that Todd wouldn't be there in the morning. He'd thought that he'd wake up and only find black purple eyes for the rest of his days. He'd figured he'd be trapped with a boy with tan hair, dark eyes, and the voice of a devil who barely spoke a word of proper English. Never, though, had he thought Todd would still be left there, stuck in the middle of the destruction of his own personality. That he would be faced with a gold eyed Todd who acted like Travis was right beneath the surface. Even in the earlier days, when Travis was lurking there and their eyes had blended in color, the toad had at least retained his own movements and ways. All of the adorable shyness and shaking was gone in the dark morning light. There was no longer a real 'Todd'. By morning the next day, he would have disappeared completely. That thought killed Lance.

Perhaps worse, however, was this half blend on top of him. Watching Todd disappear so slowly, but so thoroughly, was heart breaking. Tears slid down the older's cheeks as he gave the other a shove off him. The confusion in those gold eyes was Travis' confusion, not Todd's. Todd would've understood. Todd would've definitely understood. Travis wasn't human enough and now neither was Todd. He wasn't human enough to understand pain. That made Lance choke and sob as he clicked the safety off the gun.

" B-back ther-ere... ok-okay?" he stuttered, motioning with a quivering hand at the other wall. Todd nodded and moved backwards to the cave's wall, next to the large rock he'd been hiding behind when he was still himself. The way he held himself wasn't scared, wasn't the way it should've been. He should've been afraid. He wasn't and that made Lance take aim.

This was the very last thing he'd ever thought of doing. He'd planned it all out while they were running, while he held the terrified young mutant that needed him for so much there were no words to express it. For the past year, he'd been watching over the awkward teen who'd never been very good at saying thank you or helping himself. Then he'd fallen in love with a boy who was speechless at the horrors he had committed. He'd given up his life, his future, for that boy who shook in his arms late at night, who burst into tears at the slightest sound in the dark. When they'd run, he'd planned it all. They would go away, far away, and live together. They would pinpoint the trigger that brought that beast to the surface and rid themselves of it. In the fear, in the whirlwind of rash decisions, in the explosion of blood, he hadn't seen how badly his love was vanishing. He'd watched the mutant he'd loved so deeply for such a short period of time die. He hadn't known it, but he had.

Death was the only way to describe what he had seen. His love had died before his eyes as if stricken with a fatal disease with no cure. He'd choked and twisted and bent in agony as his soul was torn apart and eaten away by that thing inside him. His eyes had paled and paled, his voice had changed, his movements melted into the inhuman, and now there was nothing left but the one last plead the sane Todd had asked of him. Only his mind remained himself. There was only so long until it was taken too, they both knew. This was the only way to end the disease. This was the cure. This was the only way.

Had the person in front of him shown any sign of being the Todd he loved, he wouldn't be able to do it. His hand steadied as he stared at that expressionless face with it's calm eyes. Travis was too inhuman, inhumane, to have a concept of death. He wouldn't understand and he wouldn't care that his mate was getting ready to blow his brains out all over the cave wall. This thing with gold eyes had that same demeanor. Lance put his finger on the trigger.

A few shining tears inched their way over those bloodstained cheeks. A shudder went up the spine, the hands gripped the ground, the shoulders tightened. But the face remained emotionless.

Two shots were fired. The cracks echoed in the cave and birds tore off into the morning sky. Lance collapsed to his knees, shaking uncontrollably, as he cast the gun off towards the opposite side of the wall. Tears poured down his cheeks as he shook his head over and over again, not having any words to describe how ashamed he felt of himself in his darkest hour. As he cried, though, two hands raised his head up and his tears were licked away by a compassionate, understanding Todd.

" I can't do it! I couldn't! You cried, dammit! You shouldn't of fuckin' cried!" Lance roared, although his voice shook violently. His lover nodded, kissing him gently on the lips. His body began to relax on cue, those hands gripping at his shoulders, " I couldn't. I want to stay with you forever, Todd,"

For the first time, he kissed the younger instead of the other way around. He tasted blood and slime, but the tastes were a nice shock. He plunged his tongue inside, hands carefully grazing the hips of the boy he loved. Two webbed hands locked his arms at his sides as he smiled into the kiss. He felt his lover growing more passionate about it, pushing his own tongue into his mouth and running it along his teeth. Although they weren't touching, the moment was so pure, Lance's head exploded and he shook from intense emotions that weren't riddled with horror for the first time in the longest. They kissed, their heads switching positions. He went to touch the other, but was restrained and took that as an amazingly good sign. Todd didn't like to be touched, after all. He couldn't help laughing into the kiss as he felt the mutant shyly draw back. He pushed forward as a click echoed out into the night. His lips were licked like an animals then and a trickle of confusion made his stomach turn to lead. His eyes fluttered open and the world was gone in a flash of what could be described as breathtaking terror.

The eyes he was staring into were deep black purple.

And they were furious.

Lance had time to scream before his head was plunged into Travis' mouth. He fought as best he could as everything went black and wet. It was no use, however, as his hands were already pinned to his sides. He fought to create an earthquake, but his concentration was broken by his shoulders being pushed inside. He couldn't scream anymore and found himself fighting for air as he panicked and thrashed around against the warm sides of the stomach he was in. His face was splashed into the sticky blood of birds as he felt teeth around his middle. There was a sharp pain and he opened his mouth to cry out. Acid and blood made him gag and choke, bright spots appearing in his eyes as teeth dug into his spine and numbness echoed in patches down his kicking legs. His body went stiff, then limp as he felt himself curling into a ball. His legs were bent and he felt a sharp pain that made a tremble go up his body. There was a snapping even he could hear and his vision went dark as he cried out wordlessly. One of his legs was broken when it was shoved roughly inside.

He dropped down into the stomach and struggled to get out. There was no air coming in and he felt like he was staring down a long dark tunnel. He had no way of knowing what was what and could only fight as best he could. His movements, though, were growing weaker and weaker, even he knew that. Tears faintly ran down his cheeks as he realized he was dying.

Lance breathed in one final breath as he prayed, for the last time, that Todd was still alive. Even in death, he loved the boy who'd just murdered him. He prayed that boy would be able to fight this monster on his own. He prayed, tears freely falling, as a bright light appeared in his vision. Everything went weightless and his thoughts disappeared. There was nothing anymore.

On the other side, Travis clutched his round stomach in absolute rage. His entire field of vision was bathed in blood red anger, his body was shaking violently. He couldn't believe his mate had tried to kill him. He couldn't begin to express his unadulterated fury at such betrayal. His hands tightened on the bulge that was his lover, long since dead, seeing as he was barely breathing himself. The movements had ended minutes ago. Now the body was his, forever. He never had to face that confusion again, that rage inducing confusion. Yes, he'd never be able to mate again, but that somehow didn't matter much in his terribly dangerous mind. He only bared sharp fangs and glared at the opposing wall. Once he had slimmed down, he'd go searching for something to take his anger out on. Something living, something that would scream and gush blood like all the rest.

He certainly was hungry now that he thought about it. His hands rubbed the sides of his stomach longingly. He was as full as he could be. He couldn't even stand up. Yet, he was starving. When was the last time he'd eaten? Hours ago. His rage began to slip away as his desire for basic needs rose up like a dark demon in the back of his mind. He shuddered, eyes darting around.

There was a bird pecking at the crumbs of the food his mate had eaten. His brain clicked and buzzed, his senses growing ever sharper. He could pick up the smell of fresh blood, moving flesh. He needed it. His stomach was caving in. He let out low cry, his voice stolen away at the sight of real food. His stomach begged him, urged him. All around him, a fog rose, the only clear sight was the bird. Everything whirled around him, his head throbbed and his back arched as he clawed at the ground. His nails dug in and his eyes contorted, causing the dark to swell up around him in great darting figures.

Forcing himself up, Travis inched across the stone floor. Every muscle in his body roared with fire, his limbs trembling. But he couldn't stop himself. His greed for blood was overtaking his desire and willing him forward even more then the piercing agony that was his stomach. The bird chirped, the sound enraged him. But he could go no farther. His body gave out and he was left curled up on the floor, panting and glaring at the bird. It pecked it's way close enough in animalistic stupidity.

His tongue wrapped around it and suddenly it's last chirp was cut off as it was in his mouth. His teeth broke it's body into pieces as he chewed. Blood exploded inside his head and thickly leaked down his throat. He swallowed slowly, licking the red liquid off his lips. The pain stopped and his head cleared off all the fog. His body was warm and pleasant, full and digesting his mate. His head began to swim in what he took to be joy and comfort as he wrapped his body around his large stomach, inside which were the remains of his lover. All was good, all was perfect. By morning, he would be free. There would be no human to tie him down. He would be able to fill his greed and grow fat off of delicious humans. He'd never felt so satisfied in all his life.

But in his satisfaction, Travis felt a trickle of fear. His eyes widened as hands grabbed hold of his mind. A scream echoed out into the forest as his brain was torn in two and his body was racked with pain. His back bent, his convulsed, and prickling icy cold needles ran down his skin. A fire like passion burst in his chest and blood splattered on the walls from his own mouth as his eyes were melted in the heat. He was thrown head first into a dark pit with an animal like howl that echoed into the very depths of the cave as two gold eyes shone in what was once his face.

Todd cried out as he felt hands gripping his soul, refusing to let go. His body convulsed but he fought for control, hearing loud screaming inside his skull. That rage was building inside his chest. There was no time to think. There was only time to act. He had no chance of breaking the hold of this monster without someone to keep him sane, keep him in love with the world he'd once known. Everything was too primitive, too much like Travis' world. He couldn't return to the world that made him normal. He had no one to help him. And he would only have this bit of control for the moment, for the second it took for the monster to explode with fury and rage that would wash over him and rid his mind of what was left of his human side. His brain had been torn apart too much. He couldn't do it again. This was the only second he has to himself and it was fading fast. The world was already turning red, that voice was already in his mouth, and he was already screaming in rage as he reached forward and grabbed his only hope. His movements weren't human and he held the gun as though he'd never touched something manmade in his life. Fingers were running down his body, taking control. His eyes were bleeding out. This was it, he was already blended. He was about to be taken control of. There was nothing left. The fear was replaced with anger and the smell of blood overwhelmed him. He wasn't himself, the world was different, and he couldn't focus. Only one piece of him remained.

Todd's desperation to avenge those who'd died. The paperboy, Scott Summers, Evan Daniels, Wanda Maximoff, and especially his beloved Lance Alvers. That was all that was left. It filled him completely as his eyes faded from control.

Travis screamed out in horror as Todd squeezed the trigger.

Control was won as the world vanished in a blood red blur.

* * *

Fin. 


End file.
